Gay, Lesbian, Transgender Hate Crime Statistics

I've only been close to becoming the victim of a hate crime once (at least that I know of). Four gentlemen, who at the time seemed four times my size, cornered me in a public restroom. They screamed obscenities and laughed at the way I dressed. I was terrified even as I ran out of the room. Surprisingly, this happened at a crowded event. The other men in the restroom let the scene continue without the slightest intervention. Of course, as I stood pinned up against the wall by my own fear all I could think about was how I was going to defend myself against these homophobes. I later thought about how quickly the verbal assault could have turned violent.

I was fortunate to only suffer some emotional trauma, which is mild compared to what other victims experience. Many of our gay, lesbian and transgender brothers and sisters- Matthew Shepard, Charles Howard , Gwen Araujo to name only a few- were not as fortunate as I to walk away with only their pride bruised.

Most people think of hate crimes as being exclusively against persons based on race, ethnicity or gender, but hate-based crimes against gay, lesbians and transgender people are equally rooted in our history and just as heinous. See what the FBI is doing about hate crimes and which states include sexual orientation in their hate crime prevention bills.

Learn: Gay, Lesbian, Transgender Hate Crime Statistics
Prevent: How To Avoid A Hate Crime

_{Image courtesy of Shirley Harshenin.}