Hate crimes against LGBTQ people increased since last year according to new FBI data. Bias crimes motivated by sexual orientation and gender identity were up in 2022 over last year, representing one fifth of total hate crimes tracked by the FBI.
Executive Director of the New York City Anti-Violence Project, Beverly Tillery, responds:
“This data reflects the sad reality our communities have known this past year, that we are facing increased harm and violence, and our safety is at risk,” says AVP Executive Director Beverly Tillery. “This is sadly only a snapshot of the real problem, as we know many threats and hate incidents against our communities go unreported or are not considered crimes and are untracked in this data.”
AVP also documented the hate violence LGBTQ spaces faced in 2022 in its first-ever LGBTQ safe spaces National Needs Assessment and found that three out of every five of the spaces we surveyed experienced hate violence. And these organizations overwhelmingly, nearly 90%, need at least one additional safety resource.
“How much more evidence do we need that anti-LGBTQ hate violence, and all types of bias-motivated violence is a matter of national urgency and a threat to public health,” says Tillery. “Solely responding after the fact isn’t bringing these numbers down, we need resources sent directly to our communities now to address violence.”
We are particularly concerned at the growth in hate crimes against transgender people, as these crimes jumped from 342 in 2021 to 469 in 2022, an increase of around one-third.
“Our transgender siblings, particularly those of color, have continually faced the brunt of attacks, and also are most often victimized by police and other public systems when they attempt to report violence or seek help”, says Tillery. “These numbers are going in the wrong direction and we must stop this trend now before more people are harmed or killed.”