Stonewall has released new research by YouGov involving 2,008 adults showing that in the past year 19% of those surveyed admitted to making offensive remarks about lesbian, gay, bi and trans people(LGBT) people and 30% had heard offensive comments, or language like ‘poof’ or ‘dyke’. 63% of those who witnessed abuse didn’t intervene, but 31% said they did step in. The research also shows that 27% of women are likely to confront someone they hear making offensive comments, compared to 13% of men. In the last two weeks we have published results of surveys by Acas and the TUC revealing that bullying is on the increase. This latest survey showing abuse targeted at LGBT people adds to concerns about the negative impact on dignity at work. Organisations who embrace the core value of diversity – respecting and valuing difference – may want to highlight these findings in future diversity awareness programmes.

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