After experiencing a hate crime with my partner when we were out for a walk in our neighbourhood, we did report the hate crime, and it really wasn't a very good experience. There were a lot of questions about what actually happened, almost as if they didn't believe us. In terms of the support provided, the call began, and when the call ended, nothing ever came of it. Maybe it's because they're understaffed; maybe it's because they don't have the information, but this really spurred us at the Enchanté Network to understand that this wasn't an individual experience but one that was happening to thousands of Canadians across the country.
We went out and asked folks why they were not reporting to the police when they had experienced a hate crime. We unlocked a can of worms about the deep relationship, or lack thereof, between police services and queer and trans communities. There's a lot of trust that needs to be rebuilt there so that queer and trans folks feel safe to report a hate crime, whether on the phone or in person.
To put it in context, imagine being a trans person walking into a police station to report that you have experienced a hate crime. Do we believe that person is going to be met with an environment that allows her to tell her authentic story about something traumatic that happened to her?
I think that, in the women's rights movement, folks understand what it means to come forward and tell your story, and all the barriers that are included in that process. There are lessons to be learned there.
First, we do need to build up police services to be able to respond, but we also need to understand how to put community in the position where they feel comfortable reporting these hate crimes in the first place.