Today I asked a topical question in the Scottish Parliament on tackling LGBTI hate crimes in Scotland. During the exchange with the First Minister I called for a full breakdown of LGBTI hate crime statistics.
The Scottish Parliament has a proud history in the work and legislation it has delivered to make Scotland a more inclusive and tolerant society, especially on LGBTI issues.
However we must always be vigilant that intolerance and hatred in Scotland is never given the space to grow. The 20% rise in LGBTI hate crimes shows that we must redouble our efforts to tackle violence and aggressions towards people based on their sexuality.
To fully tackle LGBTI hate crimes we must fully understand where and how these crimes are taking place. That is why I am calling on the Scottish Government to publish a full breakdown of LGBTI offences in Scotland so we can better understand the nature of these crimes.