Crimes against LBGT community are up, despite social gains

[w8liftinglady]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-07-31-LGBT-violence-lesbian-gay-transgender-bisexual-survey_n.htm

Violent crimes, including murder, increased last year against people identifying themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT), and people of color among those groups were most likely to be targeted, an advocacy group reports.


A report last month by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, a group that supports victims of anti-LGBT harassment, found:

•Hate incidents against LGBT people and HIV-affected persons increased 13% from 2009 to 2010.

•Murders of LGBT people numbered 27, the second-highest total recorded.

•Half of victims did not report the crimes to police, and 61% of victims who did said they experienced indifferent or abusive police attitudes.

[Kennah]

1. There's just too much tea in the water

[lbrtbell]

2. Duh, it's BECAUSE of social gains

The RW'ers go into a frenzy every time civil rights go forward.

[TheWraith]

3. There's also the possibility of increased reporting.

I.e. because of the gains in social acceptance, more people are likely to feel comfortable reporting "So and so assaulted me because I was gay," when at some previous point they may have simply reported "So and so assaulted me," or not reported it at all.

Edited to add: I'm not sure how you would distinguish one from the other statistically, although a questionnaire study of gay folks to determine the past level of bias attacks could do it.