The Human Rights Campaign has now enacted a “national state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people”. This came about because of the FBI’s 2022 Annual Crime Report that came out about a week ago. This crime report reports data on crimes ranging from homicides to property crimes, and includes data on hate crimes. The 2022 annual crime report showcased drastic increases in hate crimes centered around gender identity, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity. The race and ethnicity hate crime category is still the largest category. The sexual orientation hate crime category increased by 13.8% from the year before. The gender identity hate crime category increased by 32.9% from the year before.
The importance of this can not be lost on us amidst the legislative crisis that is facing members of the LGBTQ+ community right now. Hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced across the United States, with 80 being signed into law. With increased legislation, politicalization, and media sensationalization around LGBTQ+ issues, combined with this heightened level of hate crimes, the safety of LGBTQ+ citizens has reached a critical point. Given the presidential election coming up next year, this is an even more pertinent issue.
Written by: Lily Philbrook