Mourners attend a vigil for the victims of the gay nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida. Adam Berry/Getty Images
Hate crimes targeting the LGBTQ community are on the rise from 2022 to 2023, according to the latest FBI data, and advocacy groups are warning that LGBTQ Latinos may be especially vulnerable to such attacks.
The FBI recorded 2,936 sexual orientation and gender identity bias-related incidents in 2023, an 8.6% increase from approximately 2,700 in 2022. Sexual orientation motivated crimes accounted for 2,389 of the total incidents, while gender identity-based crimes increased from 515 in 2022 to 547 in 2023.
LGBTQ advocates argue the rise in violence is linked to an increase in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and legislation. The Human Rights Campaign declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ people in the United States in June 2023, citing a hostile environment fueled by record legislative action against the LGBTQ community.
“Anti-LGBTQ hatred is often combined with anti-immigrant and racist tropes, from the horrific attack at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub in 2016 to the 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 over 35 incidents targeting LGBTQ Latinos that incorporate anti-LGBTQ and anti-immigrant sentiments. Notable examples include a shooting in June 2024 at the offices of Trans Fronteras, an organization that supports Latino LGBTQ immigrants, and threats against the Trans Latino Coalition and the LA Pride Parade in March 2024.
Despite a 3% decrease in violent crime overall, the FBI reported an increase in hate crimes nationwide. Sexual orientation and gender identity were the third and fourth most common motives for hate crimes, behind race and religion. LGBTQ-related hate crimes accounted for 18.1% of all incidents in 2023, up from 15.7% in 2022.
In some cases, anti-LGBTQ and anti-Latino sentiment has culminated in public protests and violent incidents: In February 2023, four people in Queens, New York, allegedly assaulted a fellow train passenger while yelling anti-LGBTQ and anti-Hispanic slurs. In Texas, protesters disrupted a drag show at Dallas TX Latino Pride in September 2023, using rhetoric targeting both the LGBTQ and Latino communities.
“False statements have real consequences and threaten the safety of entire communities,” Ellis said.
LGBTQ advocates are calling for stronger protections and more comprehensive laws to address rising hate crimes and ensure the safety of vulnerable communities, especially LGBTQ people of color.
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