Anti-LGBT Hate Crimes Up 24%

[JackBeck]

More fuel for the Matthew Shepard Act, sadly.

A report released Tuesday shows that violent attacks on members of the LGBT community nationwide grew by 24 percent in 2007 over the previous year. The 78-page report was prepared by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs with input from more than 30 of its members across the U.S. The number of incidents of anti-LGBT violence rose from 1,486 in 2006 to 1,833 in 2007, based on reporting from the exact same reporting regions as the year prior. Additionally, 2007 had the third highest murder rate in the past 10 years that NCAVP has been compiling the report with murders more than doubling from 10 in 2006 to 21 in 2007. LGBT people also reported a 61% increase in sexual assaults perpetrated as hate crimes. Part of the increase is attributed to an increase in the willingness of LGBT people to report hate crimes.

http://www.joemygod.blogspot.com/

And here's a link to the report:

http://www.ncavp.org/common/document_files/Reports/2007HVReportFINAL.pdf

A fully-inclusive Matthew Shepard Act must be passed. Not only would this Act finally extend already existing Federal hate crimes protections to the LGBT community, but it would also infuse money into communities where resources are needed to quell the violence.

[marmar]

1. And I suspect that even more knuckle-draggers will surface in the wake of the CA Supreme Ct decision

..... and I suspect hate crimes of all sorts will rise, given the anger, economic frustration, nature of this year's election, immigration and rapid social change going on in the country right now.

[JackBeck]

3. Unfortunately, looks like it already happened:

http://cbs5.com/local/gay.beating.sacramento.2.726085.html">2 Gay Men Beaten In Sacramento After Court Ruling

[marmar]

5. Good grief......And sadly, very predictable.

n/t

[SIMPLYB1980]

6. Kick for the Info, come on DU we can talk about things other than the primarys.

[mach2]

20. I recommended now I can kick

...

[mach2]

19. Damn! Well at least they caught the bastards. What the hell kind of name is

Micah Jontomo Tasaki?

[SIMPLYB1980]

2. This should get 100 recs. Sadly the LGBT community has not gotten near the

attention they should have during the primary's.

[JackBeck]

9. Thanks for trying.

If you haven't seen them already, try and find previous discussions on this matter. A real eye-opener from those that consider themselves liberal or progressive.

[unpossibles]

4. K&R

more people need to know about this and understand it goes far beyond being "PC" or however the bigots like to spin it.

[IndianaJones]

7. these things cannot be discussed so close to the election..after November, we'll get on it.

Trust us.

[JackBeck]

8. But then we'll be setting-up the Dems for a massive midterm defeat.

So let's just wait until after that.

Then again, the LGBT community will then be jeopardizing the re-election of the Democratic President, so wait until after 2012...

It never ends, does it?

[Solon]

10. Oh fuck...

What type of nation are we leaving for future generations? This bigotry must end, by any means necessary. :grr:

[Beer Snob-50]

11. unfortunatly, do you think extending fed hate crimes will help in this case?

i think that it is already the law that it is wrong and punishable to do all these things and they are still be done. will law enforcement step up the protection if this law is passed?

i don't think many of these knuckle-draggers really care.

[JackBeck]

14. Yes, I do.

Because there will now be new funding streams available for areas where combating this bigotry is a necessity.

It would also make hate-crimes against the LGBT community a federal crime, extending what Clinton did in the 90's (only prosecuting these crimes on a federal level if committed on federally owned property).

[Beer Snob-50]

16. okay it is a different story if there is additonal funding available to combat it

in my area of the country, you hardly ever hear of these types of crimes happening.

[JackBeck]

17. You'd think in NYC that would be true, as well.

But hate crimes against the LGBT community still occur here, even in Chelsea and on Christopher Street...areas where for many years we actually felt safe.

[Solly Mack]

12. K&R

and too many in government encourage such attacks when they deny rights to everyone

They make it OK to hate and call it freedom of religion

[MotorCityMan]

13. This is sickening, but predictable

I mentioned to my partner months ago that hate crimes were going to start going up because it's an election year. The rethugs have to drag out their usual "hate the homos" rheteric that so appeals to their knucke-dragging base.

[magellan]

15. The gov't is responsible

The entire gov't. The Repubs have made acting out hate acceptable, and the Dems have done precious little to counter that message. Even worse, neither Dem candidate supports same-sex marriage; they're down with discrimination. Which only reinforces the haters.

To say that I'm thoroughly disgusted with the whole nightmare that is our government would be a masterful understatement.

[FreeState]

18. K&R n/t

[aquarius dawning]

21. If ever there was an American demographic group that needed the second amendment, this is it.

[JackBeck]

23. Have you heard of the "Pink Pistols"?

While I'm no fan of owning excessive amounts of automatic firearms, well, to each his own.

http://www.pinkpistols.org/

[aquarius dawning]

25. Nice.

We live in a day and age when world leaders can threaten to cut off the heads of all the homosexuals in their country; where women still have limbs chopped off for punishment, where genocide is becoming increasingly common instead of less common. High minded liberals want to live in a brave new world characterized by peace, love, and acceptance. Sadly, our technological advancements have far outpaced our moral/ethical advancements and we, as a species, are still not that far removed from the dark ages. Among all the lessons that man kind has learned along the way in his evolutionary development, one stands out as an ultimate truth, the strong and the powerful pray on the weak and the powerless; case in point, "gay bashing". As I said, if ever there was an American demographic in desperate need of the second amendment, it is the gay community.

[galledgoblin]

22. sheeeeeez....

it's too bad there isn't more comprehensive data in the report for a full nationwide coverage, I want to see better how this breaks down geographically.

...up 24% in a year... sometimes it feels like for every step taken forward some slimeballs insist on pulling everyone two steps back.

[Dukkha]

24. that's compassionate conservatism

No surprise at all. There's nothing but non stop 24/7 hate mongering on the right wing talk shows, faux news, and other cable shit it's fueling the thug lynching mentality and gays and immigrants are the targets.