From Spitting to Hate Mail: Exeter councillors share LGBTQ+ abuse stories

Members of Exeter’s LGBTQ+ community continue to face hatred, abuse, public humiliation, and physical assault, councillors have warned during a deeply emotional full council meeting.

Independent non-binary councillor Zoe Hughes shared their own harrowing experience of being spat on in the street, underscoring the very real dangers faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in the city. They described receiving hate mail addressed directly to them at the Civic Centre, and recounted disturbing reports from across Exeter, including posters outing schoolteachers, online impersonation, and even being forcibly removed from women’s toilets by pub security.

“These are not isolated incidents,” Cllr Hughes said. “They are happening in our wards and on our streets. This is not acceptable in a city that prides itself on being inclusive and safe for all.”

Cllr Hughes, who left the Labour group earlier this year over its stance on gender identity, criticised the party’s support for banning puberty blockers for under-18s exploring their gender identity. They urged colleagues to support a motion affirming that: "Trans women are women, trans men are men, and non-binary and intersex people exist and deserve recognition. 

"Everyone should be safe and free to be themselves, without fear of hostility or violence. The erosion of trans rights threatens everyone’s rights – especially those of women and girls.”

They added that nobody’s life chances should be limited or determined by their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

Labour councillor Paul Knott spoke movingly about his daughter’s experience transitioning from male to female, revealing that she had endured relentless bigotry and abuse, even from fellow students on her university campus. “Trans and non-binary people live and work in every ward of this wonderful, diverse city,” he said. “They deserve to feel safe and supported.”

The motion passed with unanimous support, save for one abstention.