Gypsy and Traveller Voices on Hate Crime and Discrimination

The Gypsy and Traveller Community probably face the biggest levels of prejudice and discrimination in Britain.  Sadly too many people still see it as acceptable to be racist towards Travellers.

In a report entitled “The Last Acceptable Form of Racism” written by The Traveller Movement in September 2017, they found that that 77% of Gypsies and Travellers had experienced hate speech or a hate crime.  91% had experienced some form of discrimination because of their ethnicity.  These experiences of prejudice and discrimination appear to be so common that they have almost become normalised. The negative experiences can have a lasting impact on health, mental health, employment and general life chances of these communities.

Leeds Gate, a charity set up to improve the quality of life for Gypsies and Travellers has created a powerful video which provides a valuable insight into the nature of the discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes experienced by Gypsies and Travellers.

Leeds Gate provide a wealth of resources and training designed to help people understand the cultural complexities of the Gypsy and Traveller Community. The resources are designed to assist professionals engage more effectively and fully with the Gypsy and Traveller community.  For more information go to www.leedsgate.co.uk