FBI Reports Rise in LGBTQ Hate Crimes, Experts Say Latinos Especially Vulnerable

Hate crimes targeting the LGBTQ community increased from 2022 to 2023, according to new FBI data, with advocates warning that LGBTQ Latinos may be particularly vulnerable to these attacks.

The FBI recorded 2,936 incidents related to sexual orientation and gender identity bias in 2023, an 8.6% rise from about 2,700 incidents in 2022. Crimes motivated by sexual orientation made up 2,389 of the total incidents, while gender identity-based offenses increased to 547 in 2023, up from 515 in 2022.

LGBTQ advocates have linked the increase in violence to a rise in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and legislation. The Human Rights Campaign declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ people in the U.S. in June 2023, citing a hostile environment fueled by record-breaking legislative actions against the community.

"Anti-LGBTQ hate often merges with anti-immigrant and racist tropes, from the horrific 2016 attack at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, to recent lies about Haitian immigrants and HIV in Springfield, Ohio," said Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD. Ellis highlighted the intersection of LGBTQ and immigrant identities in recent incidents of violence.

Since June 2022, GLAAD has tracked more than 35 incidents targeting LGBTQ Latino people blending anti-LGBTQ and anti-immigrant sentiments. Notable examples include a June 2024 shooting at the office of Trans Fronteras, a group supporting Latino LGBTQ migrants, and threats in March 2024 against the TransLatin@ Coalition and the LA Pride Parade.

Despite an overall 3% drop in violent crime, the FBI reported a rise in hate crimes across the country. Sexual orientation and gender identity ranked as the third and fourth most common motivations for hate crimes, following race and religion. LGBTQ-related hate crimes made up 18.1% of the total incidents in 2023, compared to 15.7% in 2022.

In some cases, anti-LGBTQ and anti-Latino sentiments converged in public protests and violent incidents. In February 2023, four people allegedly assaulted a fellow train passenger in Queens, New York, while shouting anti-LGBTQ and anti-Hispanic slurs. In Texas, protesters disrupted a drag show at TX Latino Pride in Dallas in September 2023, using rhetoric that targeted both the LGBTQ and Latino communities.

"False rhetoric has real life consequences and makes all in the community less safe," Ellis said.

LGBTQ advocates are calling for stronger protections and more inclusive laws to address the rising hate crimes and ensure the safety of vulnerable communities, particularly LGBTQ people of color.