Violence against LGBT people

Violence against LGBT people, queer identifying and the same-sex attracted are actions which may occur either at the hands of individuals or groups, or as part of governmental enforcement of laws targeting people who are perceived to violate heteronormative rules and who contravene protocols of gender roles. People who are mistakenly perceived to be LGBT may also be targeted.

A hate crime is when individuals become victimized because of their race, ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation (Conklin,1992)(CSVR). Hate crimes against homosexuals often occur because the perpetrator is "homophobic". The attacks can also be blamed on society itself. Many people view being homosexual as being weak, feminine, and morally wrong. Religion plays a huge role in perpetuating these views. Some religious followers believe that the bible says that homosexuality is wrong and believe that "GOD hates gays" (New York Times, 1990). Many other religious leaders and people have dismissed the claim as exaggeration and misinterpretation.

Violence targeted at people because of their perceived sexuality may include threats, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, rape, torture, attempted murder and murder. These actions may be caused by cultural, religious, or political mores and biases.

In the United States, the FBI reported that 15.6% of hate crimes reported to police in 2004 were founded on perceived sexual orientation. 61% of these attacks were against gay men, 14% against lesbians, 2% against heterosexuals and 1% against bisexuals, while attacks against GLBT people at large made up 20%.[1] Violence based on perceived gender identity was not recorded in the report.

In the United States, the FBI reported that for 2006, hate crimes against gays increased to 16%, from 14% in 2005, as percentages of total documented hate crimes across the US.[2] The 2006 annual report, released on November 19, 2007, also said that hate crimes based on sexual orientation are the third most common type, behind race and religion.[2]

It is true that the number of hate crimes against gays continue to rise, however many of the crimes that occur go unreported, and therefore, unrecorded. This may be due to the fact that many gays feel they can not trust the police and by reporting the crime they will be subjected to further victimization(CSVR). Many homosexuals simply perceive the police as being anti-gay, and these thoughts may be justified. Research findings in the USA show that 20% of all anti-gay hate crimes are committed by police officers