In recent years the world has been moving on and the LGBT+ community has gained more equality.

But with homophobic and transphobic hate crime on the rise, what issues do people still face in their daily lives? Our reporter Laoise Gallagher has been finding out, as LGBT+ History Month is celebrated across Kent.

Although society is undoubtedly moving towards equality as a whole, with more widespread acceptance and changes to legislation, it seems there is still a deep misunderstanding of those who identify as LGBT+.

This community has suffered immensely in recent years, with government statistics revealing that hate crimes towards the group increased by 10% during the pandemic.

Chris Garner ('Madame Mumu') has been subject to abuse at work and on the street

Chris Garner from Maidstone works as a milliner (hat maker) by day. At night he transforms into his drag queen alter ego 'Madame Mumu' and is a DJ and host at MuMu's bar on Week Street.

He said that in recent years the streets have become less safe for the LGBT+ community, so much so that he now no longer feels safe to stand in the doorway of the bar when in full drag.

Chris said: "I'm not transgender, but I'm someone who does drag.

"As it has become very much a mainstream thing within the media, people are a bit more aware of it.

"I used to kind of hang out in the front door of the premises and feel okay on a Saturday afternoon.

"I used to be able to be dropped off at County Hall and then I would walk down the street to work - I now don't feel safe doing that because of comments or behaviours of people towards me just dressed in drag going to do my job.

"For a transgender person, that must be even scarier because that's their actual life and must be horrific. It's not for me, it's just my work is dressing in female clothes."

Chris believes there is no real safe space in Maidstone for the LGBT+ community.

Even at his place of work he has suffered violence and despite it being a "very queer environment" - recently at a karaoke night a drink was thrown in his face by a woman in a homophobic attack.

This thought was echoed by Alex Gede recently who moved to Maidstone from Nigeria where being gay is illegal.

Two years ago he and his ex-boyfriend tried going to a club in Maidstone for the first time.

He said: "There were people sitting down who were secretly throwing empty bottles and glasses at us and we had to walk out - I think that is the first and last time I've ever gone to any club in Maidstone."

However, it's not just in Maidstone, abuse is even happening in the few gay bars there are across Kent.

Chris added: "I've had experiences in a gay venue in Rochester many years ago, where I was actually physically punched by a group of people and all I was doing was dancing in the middle of the dance floor - admittedly security went after them.

"Even when I first moved here and I found my group of friends, I would experience violence towards me because I was a gay man.

"I don't know if it was a misunderstanding, maybe people thought that I was just a man trying to hit on a woman or whatever - I don't get where the violence came from."

Activists are continuing to fight for more education to stop hate crimes and discrimination through normalising the LGBT+ community.

Chris explained: "I think that businesses should be educating themselves on how to protect LGBT+ people, and not just LGBT+ people that work for them. So definitely education is important.

"Education in school is another huge key - in Scotland, gay sex is taught in schools (as of last year), whereas in this part of the world it isn't.

"It's 2022, we're too far ahead as humans to still be having these views of systemic hierarchy and it doesn't make sense at all."

Hilary Cooke, from Medway Pride agreed that education and awareness of legislation is important in moving society forward.

However, she believes that recent decades have seen a general improvement in attitudes towards transgender people specifically.

Hilary Cooke came out at transgender in the 1980s

She said: "Generally I would say Kent is a safe place. We have support from organisations around reporting a crime and encouraging people to report any hate crimes or incidents.

"In general, when I go about my day-to-day life, I don't see any issues, but unfortunately some people do come across issues in places."

Her main concern in 2022 is the waiting list time for those waiting to transition.

For those looking into the very first steps of changing their gender identity, the wait time currently stands at four to five years for the first appointment on the NHS.

Hilary continued: "I'm thinking of the main things that are affecting the community, myself and the people I speak to, and that's the issue of health care.

"People who are seeking help with transitioning now have a five year wait, and that's just for the first appointment.

"That's the very first chance to talk about getting some help, and that really affects people's mental health."

Within healthcare, changes are slowly being made within law to diminish remaining discrimination, especially in blood donation.

Until 2011, men who have sex with men were not able to give blood in the UK.

But in the past decade this has changed three times - later in 2011 men who had sex with men could give blood after 12 months of abstinence and then in 2017 this was reduced to three months.

More recently, in June 2021 this was altered so that men who have had the same partner for three months are able to give blood.

The NHS say that this rule is still in place due to the increased risk of blood borne infections.

Its website states: "We have some of the world’s most progressive rules about who can and can’t give blood.

"Internationally, some countries don’t allow men who have sex with men to give blood or have a 12-month delay."

Blood borne infections of concern, usually associated with a stigma towards the LGBT+ community, include HIV and hepatitis A, B and C.

According to new figures for England from the UK Health Security Agency, for the first time in a decade, the number of new HIV diagnoses among heterosexuals is higher than it is for gay and bisexual men.

Half of all new HIV diagnoses were in heterosexuals (49%) in England in 2020, compared to 45% in gay and bisexual men.

Heterosexuals were also far more likely to be diagnosed late, meaning damage to the immune system has already begun.

This is likely driven by a belief that they are not at risk of HIV, and according to the Terrence Higgins Trust, this notion is often reinforced by healthcare professionals.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid: "It is fantastic to see the diagnosis rate of HIV fall further among gay and bisexual men as a result of testing and the routine commissioning of PrEP, but we must make sure this trend is reflected in all groups.

"I am committed to our goal of no new HIV transmissions by 2030, but we cannot achieve it alone.

"We all have a part to play – HIV testing is free and confidential for everyone, and knowing your status will allow you to access appropriate prevention or treatment."

Activists hope that these statistics will remove the misinformed discrimination surrounding gay and bisexual men in regards to HIV.

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