“…It’s just not a daily occurrence throughout the US.”
If only.
In a post I wrote on Friday, “The Embodiment Of Religious Bigotry,” a reader responds to another reader’s comment with this:
“Oh please. I know at least two dozen gay people, none of whom have EVER been beaten up or even threatened for their sexual orientation. In fact, people tend to be more friendly towards them than not. It’s just not a daily occurrence throughout the US. Maybe if you include stats from less friendly nations, that may be true, but the democratic workings of the US legal system have zero bearing on that.”
Here’s my response:
With all due respect, it is clear you’re not a regular reader of this blog. And that’s fine, but your personal experience has no bearing on facts. I’m glad your 24 LGBTQ frinds have never been victims of a hate crime – as far as you know – and as far as were reported. But here are some facts:
- Attorney General Eric Holder recently said, “…over the span of the last two decades in our country, there has been nearly one hate crime every hour of every day.”
- “…hate crimes against gays, according to the FBI’s report released today, are up. Specifically…“the number of people who were victims of hate-crimes based on sexual orientation went up 13%.â€
- Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, a Puerto Rican teen was recently decapitated, dismembered, and burned in a trans-related hate crime. Were it not for the federal government, this would not have been prosecuted as a hate crime. (Its status is still unclear.)
The FBI’s own hate crimes statistics show a 38% increase from 2005 to 2008:
2008: 1,617 hate crime offenses based on sexual-orientation bias were reported by law enforcement agencies. Of these offenses:
- 58.6 percent were classified as anti-male homosexual bias.
- 25.7 percent were reported as anti-homosexual bias.
- 12.0 percent were prompted by an anti-female homosexual bias.
- 2.0 percent were the result of an anti-heterosexual bias.
- 1.7 percent were classified as anti-bisexual bias.
2007: 1,460 hate crime offenses based on sexual-orientation bias were reported by law enforcement agencies. Of these offenses:
- 59.2 percent were classified as anti-male homosexual bias.
- 24.8 percent were reported as anti-homosexual bias.
- 12.6 percent were prompted by an anti-female homosexual bias.
- 1.8 percent were the result of an anti-heterosexual bias.
- 1.6 percent were classified as anti-bisexual bias.
2006: 1,415 hate crime offenses based on sexual-orientation bias were reported by law enforcement agencies. Of these offenses:
- 62.3 percent were classified as anti-male homosexual biased.
- 20.7 percent were classified as anti-homosexual biased.
- 13.6 percent were classified as anti-female homosexual biased.
- 2.0 percent were classified as anti-heterosexual biased.
- 1.5 percent were classified as anti-bisexual biased.
2005: 1,171 hate crime offenses based on sexual-orientation bias were reported by law enforcement agencies. Of these offenses:
- 60.9 percent were anti-male homosexual.
- 19.5 percent were anti-homosexual.
- 15.4 percent were anti-female homosexual.
- 2.0 percent were anti-heterosexual.
- 2.3 percent were anti-bisexual.
And sadly, as you can see, these numbers either do not include or do not delineate crimes against trans people. Fortunately, the new hate crimes law requires trans people to be included specifically in the FBI’s statistics going forward.
Dan, I’m glad your friends are safe. I wish I could say the same for the people over the past four years who suffered through 5663 hate crimes.
(Thanks to About.com for compiling these stats.)