FBI: Hate crime down in 2007 but anti-gay crime up

[JackBeck]

WASHINGTON – Hate crime incidents decreased slightly last year, despite a surge in crimes targeting gays and lesbians.

The FBI reported more than 7,600 hate crime incidents in 2007, down about 1 percent from last year. The decline was driven by decreases in the two largest categories of hate crimes — crimes against race and religion.

But prejudice against sexual orientation, the third-largest category, increased about 6 percent, the report found.

The FBI report does not compare its data from one year to the next because the number of law enforcement agencies participating in the annual count varies from year to year. More agencies contributed to the 2007 report than the 2006 report, however.

The data released Monday is consistent with previous years. Racial bias remained the most common motive, accounting for more than half of all reported hate crimes. Blacks, Jews and gays were the most frequent victims of hate crimes, the report found.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081027/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/hate_crimes;_ylt=Akg0k0_vVHYEL5x3WQEtp7ms0NUE

[jjanpundt]

1. Just wondering - doesn't anti-gay crime = hate crime?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. Hate crime totals down, anti-gay hate crime sub-category up.

[vi5]

3. I was going to say the same thing but...

after reading it, it seems to be saying that hate crimes as an entire category are down, but proportionally speaking within that number anti-gay hate crimes account for more of them.

[youthere]

4. took the words right out of my mouth, you did.

[JackBeck]

6. As far as our Federal government is concerned, no.

The LGBT community is not protected under already existing hate crimes laws.

But it appears that the FBI, for statistical purposes, recognizes the LGBT community as a sub-group, like they do Blacks and Jews.

[YOY]

5. That's good...and bad...

Hate crimes are bad no matter who they happen to but the decrease should be relative across the board. Sad about that.

[JackBeck]

7. Hopefully, the disproportionate results aren't a marker of some kind of trend. n/t

[marmar]

8. I bet the 2008 numbers will show a rise in all categories of hate crimes.....

Obama, immigration, Prop 8, Islamophobia - lots of targets for haters this year.