Tory Councillor says homophobic hate crime laws are 'one-sided'

A Conservative councillor says that a “one sided” approach to homophobic hate crime “needs to be looked into”.

Girvan Councillor, Gavin Scott, made the comments during a report by Chief Superintendent, Raymond Higgins, of Police Scotland at South Ayrshire Council’s Service and Partnership Performance Panel.

Ch Supt Higgins said that there had been a marked increase in hate crime in South Ayrshire, although he stressed that a change in reporting procedures meant that the comparative figures were not completely accurate.

The report stated: “Based on the information we have available there appears to have been a marked increase in hate crime across South Ayrshire.

“During 2023/24 a total of 58 crimes were recorded whilst in 2024/25 there have been 72 so far.”

The number of homophobic crimes stayed relatively static, with 16 recorded in 2024/25 compared to 15 in 2023/24.

Racial crimes fell, but are still the most prevalent at 31 recording incidents. Disablist offences become the second highest form of recorded hate crime, rising from 7 in 2023/24 to 22 in 2024/25.

While many of the offences were targeted at police officers, in each category, the victims were members of the public.

Cllr Scott asked the Chief Superintendent to elaborate on homophobic offences.

He said: “Homophobic crime is in relation to people making comments in relation to people’s sexual orientation.”

Cllr Scott responded: “That seems very one-sided. It gives me the impression that the straight person is in the wrong, although he has said nothing.

“It tends to favour the homosexual. Now I used to work for an airline, and the amount of times I was approached by the opposite sex, we would be here from now until eternity.

“I only think it needs looking into. If you could do that for me, gentlemen, please.”

The Local Democracy Reporting Service contacted Cllr Scott to clarify the points he made at the meeting, asking him to expand on his argument that the situation was “one sided” and why he had raised the point about being approached “by the opposite sex”.

Cllr Scott said that he was researching the issue for clarification and suggested that Police Scotland may “find them useful and perhaps beneficial to them in a cost effective way”.

The Girvan councillor also said that he would present his research findings to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.