More LGBT people have been murdered in the US than ever before
(Getty)
More LGBT people have been murdered in the US than ever before – and it could get worse.
According to a new report released by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programmes, 2016 was the worst year on record for LGBT people in the US.
The figures exclude the 49 people killed in the Orlando gay club massacre, which the international and local community marked yesterday, a year on from the tragedy.
LGBT people of colour and transgender and gender non-conforming people made up the great majority of the other 28 recorded hate violence homicides of LGBT people across the US.
This figure was up 17 percent from the 24 LGBT people killed in 2015.
It was also the highest number of LGBT people murdered in 20 years, which is how long the NCAVP has been publishing annual reports.
Of those killed, 79 percent were people of color – of which 18 were black – and 68 percent were transgender or gender non-conforming.
This underscores the number of transgender or gender non-conforming people of colour who are killed every year.
So far in 2017, 12 trans women of colour have been murdered in the US.
And Beverly Tillery, a spokesperson for the New York City Anti-Violence Project, said Donald Trump’s administration means the levels of anti-LGBT violence could plumb new depths.
“Recent executive orders as well as ongoing efforts to pass anti-LGBTQ legislation and roll back protections at the city, state, and federal level make LGBTQ people vulnerable to identity-based discrimination as we go about our daily lives,” she said.
“These attacks on our communities send the message that discrimination and violence against LGBTQ people is acceptable.
“Every one of us must call out and resist religious exemption and anti-LGBTQ public accommodation bills for the hateful legislation that they are, and advocate for increased protections for LGBTQ communities on the state and federal level,” Tillery added.
Melissa Brown from the Kansas City Anti-Violence Project said: “The enormous tragedy at Pulse Nightclub, in concert with the daily violence and discrimination that pervades our lives as LGBTQ people and an incendiary political climate, have created a perfect storm of fear and trauma for our communities this year.
“We must work to dismantle the biases, such as transphobia, biphobia, homophobia and racism, which undergird all of this violence.”
Earlier this year, Trump revoked guidance introduced by the Obama administration which protected transgender students in public schools.
And the president has ended Barack Obama’s eight-year tradition of LGBT Pride Month celebrations in the White House during June.
