LGBTQ+ Hate Crimes: A National Catastrophe
The first week of June 2019 was marked by the killings of two gay men and a transgendered woman in Detroit and a gay man outside of Atlanta (Youn, 2019). Back in August 2023, Lauri Carleton, a Southern California store owner, was killed over the display of a Pride flag. In the same month, O’Shae Sibley, a gay man dancing outside a Brooklyn gas station, was stabbed to death (Oliver, 2023). Just a month later, The King’s English Bookstore in Salt Lake City had to close its doors after receiving a bomb threat over a drag queen-hosted story time telling (Dunphey, 2023). These are only a few of the countless hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community in the United States over the past couple of years.
Figure 1 Memorial for Mark Carson: Victim of LGBTQ+ Hate Crimes
A hate crime is defined by Oxford Language as “a crime, typically one involving violence, that is motivated by prejudice on the basis of ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or similar grounds.” In modern-day society, we associate hate crimes most frequently with race-based crimes. Unfortunately, crimes based on race and ethnicity are not the only hate crimes prevalent in the United States. According to the 2022 annual crime report released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes are rampant and increasing at a startling rate within the country. There has been a 13.8 percent increase in crimes based on the sexual orientation of an individual and a 32.9 percent increase based on gender identity. Within 2022 alone, 338 anti-transgender specific incidents were reported and 131 incidents targeting individuals who were not gender conforming (Luneau, 2023).
How are crimes against individuals of the LGBTQ+ community different than crimes pertaining to individuals of the non-LGBTQ+ community? Research shows that individuals of the LGBTQ+ community are nine times more likely to be victims of violent hate crimes compared to their counterparts. Statistics display that 9 percent of all violent victimization against individuals of the LGBTQ+ community are hate crimes compared to 4 percent of violent victimization against non-LGBTQ+ individuals. To put this into perspective, Individuals of the LGBTQ+ community experience 6.6 per 1000 violent hate crime victimizations, whereas individuals of the non-LGBTQ+ community experience 0.8 per 1000 ((Williams Institute, 2022).
According to the National Crime Victimization Survey 2017-2019, studies indicate that victims of LGBTQ+ hate crimes are generally younger and have a relationship with their assailants, who are likely white. Additionally, the majority of victims are women (including cis, transgender, and non-binary) with rates at 61% (Williams Institute, 2022). The majority of persecutors are males at 74%. Although many of the incidents against individuals of the LGBTQ+ community were performed by individuals, it does not exclude the involvement of groups and organizations, such as the Proud Boys. Anti-LGBTQ+ mobilization, including political violence, demonstrations, and offline propaganda activity, has astronomically increased. Far-right militias and militant movements have escalated their engagement in anti-LGBTQ+ demonstrations by over three times in 2022 compared to 2021 (Kishi & Jones, 2023).
Figure 2 LGBTQ+ Hate Crimes on the Rise
The impact of LGBTQ+ hate crimes is detrimental. They not only have emotional and mental effects on the victims but also cause physical burdens. Victims are more likely to report problems in their social lives, negative emotional responses, and physical symptoms of distress. Surveys and studies have shown that survivors of LGBTQ+ hate crimes are five times more likely to feel angry, violated, and unsafe. They are also four times more likely to feel anxious, sad, or depressed. Related to their deteriorating mental health, the victims’ physical health has declined as well, as they are six times more likely to have high blood pressure, five times more likely to have headaches, and three times more likely to have trouble sleeping. Despite the significance of the crimes’ influence over their health, only 4 out of 10 LGBTQ+ victims seek professional help for their emotional or physical problems related to victimization (Williams Institute, 2022).
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, outlined by the United Nations, aims to “achieve gender equality and empower women and girls.” This includes “promoting, enforcing, and monitoring equality and non-discrimination based on sex” as well as ensuring equal opportunity and participation for leadership positions at “all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life” (United Nations, n.d.) However, the trends illustrated by the 2021 United States Sustainable Development Report demonstrate that only 24 out of the 50 states have achieved SDG 5 so far, specifically LGBTQ+ inclusion in hate crime laws. These states include Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii (United States Sustainable Development Report, 2021).
The path to achieving SDG 5 requires the consolidation of a multitude of approaches. Public policy decision is one of those important factors; it has the potential to influence rates of LGBTQ+ hate crime victimization. Examples of public policy decisions include enhancing criminal penalties for perpetrators, promoting the recognition of LGBTQ+ individuals as equal citizens, etc (Coston, 2018). One specific public policy decision is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which “prohibits an employer from treating you differently, or less favorably, because of your sex, which is defined to include pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity.” Additionally, Title VII “prohibits employment decisions based on stereotypes about abilities and traits associated with gender”. We also have to emphasize training for the recognition of hate-crime victimization and cultural competency related to LGBTQ+ communities. Furthermore, the implementation of anti-bullying and educational programs for youth and young adults is necessary to improve social climate and reduce hate crimes (Coston, 2018). As Lester B. Pearson once said- misunderstanding arising from ignorance breeds fear, and fear remains the greatest enemy of peace.
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References
2022 FBI hate crimes statistics. Community Relations Service. (2023, October 30). https://www.justice.gov/crs/highlights/2022-hate-crime-statistics
Coston, E. (2018a). Reducing Anti-LGBT Hate Crimes and Improving Services to Survivors. VCU Scholar Compass. https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=research-fellows
Coston, E. (2018b, November 9). Understanding and handling hate crimes against gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Scholars Strategy Network. https://scholars.org/contribution/understanding-and-handling-hate-crimes-against
Dunphey, K. (2023, September 25). Hate crimes against LGBTQ people surging in Utah, as bookshop gets Bomb Threat Over Drag event. Deseret News. https://www.deseret.com/utah/2023/9/25/23889540/hate-crimes-rising-in-utah-lgbtq-kings-english-bomb-threat/
Kishi, R., & Jones, S. (2023, October 26). Update: Fact sheet: Anti-LGBT+ mobilization on the rise in the United States. ACLED. https://acleddata.com/2022/11/23/update-fact-sheet-anti-lgbt-mobilization-in-the-united-states/
LGBT people nine times more likely than non-LGBT people to be victims of violent hate crimes. Williams Institute. (2022, December 21). https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/press/lgbt-hate-crimes-press-release/
Luneau, D. (2023, October 16). FBI’s annual crime report - amid state of emergency, anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes hit staggering record highs. Human Rights Campaign. https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/fbis-annual-crime-report-amid-state-of-emergency-anti-lgbtq-hate-crimes-hit-staggering-record-highs
Oliver, D. (2023, August 22). A California store owner was killed over a pride flag. the consequences of hate. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2023/08/22/anti-lgbtq-hate-consequences/70644092007/
Sex Discrimination. US EEOC. (n.d.). https://www.eeoc.gov/youth/sex-discrimination#:~:text=Title%20VII%20of%20the%20Civil,sexual%20orientation%2C%20and%20gender%20identity.
United Nations. (n.d.). Goal 5 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs. United Nations. https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal5
United States Sustainable Development Report 2021. (n.d.). https://us-states.sdgindex.org/map/indicators/lgbtq-hate-crimes/trends
Youn, S. (2019, June 8). Recent LGBTQ attacks highlight hate crimes. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/recent-lgbtq-attacks-highlight-hate-crimes/story?id=63575407