Hate crimes targeting the LGBTQ+ community spiked across the U.S. in 2023, according to FBI data released this week. The new numbers are causing a growing concern among advocacy groups as anti-LGBTQ+ legislation continues to impact states.
“Every lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer person in this country should be free to live their lives without fear that we’ll be the target of a violent incident purely because of who we are and who we love,” said Kelley Robinson, Human Rights Campaign President, in a statement.
Although FBI data shows the total number of violent crime decreased by 3% from 2022 to 2023, hate crimes saw an increase in both LGBTQ-related categories. As a whole, there have been a total of 2,936 reported hate crimes related to sexual orientation and gender identity bias across the U.S. That number shows an 8% increase from 2,700 reported hate crimes in 2022.
Taking a closer look, hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation bias accounted for 2,389 reported incidents in 2023. This number is up from about 2,188 in 2022 and about 1,300 in 2021, according to FBI data.
Gender identity bias incidents have also been rising in recent years. In 2023, 547 were reported. In 2022, it was 515, and in 2021, there were 307 offenses.
“[H]ate crimes against us are not yet showing signs of subsiding,” said Robinson. “Make no mistake, politicians who spread disinformation and demonize our lives are contributing to this violence.”
The ACLU is currently tracking 530 anti-LGBTQ bills across the U.S. While not all of these bills will be enacted, the staggering number proves the queer community has become a political target for many right-wing politicians. These bills focus on school sports bans for trans students, healthcare barriers and funding restrictions, curriculum censorship, barriers to accurate IDs, and more.
Last year, the HRC declared a national state of emergency of LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. for the first time, citing an “unprecedented and dangerous spike in anti-LGBTQ+ legislative assaults.” The state of emergency remains in effect today.
