Vidya Sethuraman
India Post News Service
Reported hate crimes against LGBTQ+ communities continue to rise “at alarming rates” according to Attorney General Rob Bonta, despite overall reported hate crimes decreasing by 7.1% in 2023 versus 2022. Data reported to DOJ in 2023 shows that between 2022 and 2023, there were 405 reported hate crime events motivated by sexual orientation bias (an increase of 3.6% from the previous year) and 76 hate crime events motivated by anti-transgender or anti-gender-nonconforming bias (an increase of 7.04% from the previous year).
Representatives from the California Civil Rights Department, community-based organizations that partner with the state’s first-ever multilingual hotline CA vs Hate, and LGBTQ+ advocates discussed this rise, including how people may have different experiences of hate and discrimination depending on their race, age, class, gender, sexuality, and more. In addition, a recent LA Times/NORC poll on LGBTQ+ communities shows that while most Americans accept same-sex marriage, same sex couples raising children, and laws to protect queer people from job discrimination, their approval drops off for trans and nonbinary people of all ages.
Becky Monroe, Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives and External Affairs, The Civil Rights Department said that these data are likely to be underestimated, and the actual situation may be more serious. She introduced the CA vs Hate multilingual hotline set up by the California Department of Civil Rights, and pointed out that the core concept of this hotline is “if you report, you will receive support”; it is not only a data collection tool, but more importantly, it is a tool for victims, provide support and services, including mental health, social and legal services.
Toni Newman, Black Leadership Council, Director of The Coalition for Justice and Equality Across Movements, Director of The Center to End the Epidemic pointed out through the latest statistics that as of 2024, 19 transgender and gender non-conforming people have suffered violent deaths, 68% of whom were people of color, and 32% black trans women. Newman emphasized that trans women, especially trans women of color, face multiple challenges from racism, transphobia and systemic violence. To address the issue of employment discrimination, Newman recommends that companies take three measures: develop non-discrimination policies, create an inclusive work culture, and provide fair pay and benefits. He also called on voters to actively vote for officials who support LGBTQ rights in 2024.
Andy Ruiz, Legal Support Staff and Grant Administrator, St. Johns Community Health Legal Services Department said that many LGBTQ victims are afraid to report crimes due to factors such as fear of deportation, resulting in serious underreporting of hate crimes. He emphasized the importance of community education and multilingual reporting hotlines.
At the end of the briefing, Monroe also pointed out that hate crimes against LGBTQ people, especially transgender people, are still on the rise. She called on all sectors of society to pay attention to this issue and encouraged people who may encounter hate incidents to use the California Anti-Hate Hotline (8338-NO- HATE), or visit the website (ca-vs-hate.org) for help.
Thank You For Your Vote!
Sorry You have Already Voted!
