Anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime rising in the US, according to FBI data

Hate crimes targeting LGBTQ+ people are continuing to rise, new data from the FBI has revealed.

Information shared on the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer on Monday (23 September) showed that hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity rose by almost a quarter on the previous year.

The details were sourced from data on more than 14 million criminal offences which were reported in 2023 to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) programme by participating law enforcement agencies, including more than 16,000 state, county, city, university and college and tribal agencies, and which covered 94.3 per cent US inhabitants.

The FBI recorded 2,402 incidents which related to an individual’s actual or perceived sexual orientation, compared with 1,947 in 2022, while crimes relating to a person’s actual or perceived gender identity totalled 547, up from 469. 

Across both categories, this means an increase of 22 per cent year on year. The data follows a report last October which showed 2022’s figures had also risen compared with the previous year.

The preliminary numbers showed that while hate crimes have risen, violent crime decreased by about three per cent and property crime by 2.4 per cent between 2022 and 2023.

Murder and non-negligent manslaughter were seen to decrease by 11.6 per cent nationwide compared with the previous year and rape offences dropped by 9.4 per cent. The number of burglaries fell by about 7.6 per cent.

President Joe Biden said the figures showed that Americans are “safer than when we took office”.

Commenting on the hate crime findings, Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson said: “Every lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer person in this country should be free to live their lives without fear that we’ll be the target of a violent incident purely because of who we are and who we love.

“Unfortunately, the latest FBI hate crimes data shows that even as public acceptance of LGBTQ+ people continues to grow, and overall crime continues to decline, hate crimes against us are not yet showing signs of subsiding. Make no mistake, politicians who spread disinformation and demonise our lives are contributing to this violence.

“This trend needs to end. LGBTQ+ people need full non-discrimination protections in law, nationwide. All law enforcement agencies must commit to fully reporting data on hate crimes in their communities, and politicians and community leaders across the country need to stop lying about our community and inciting hatred against us.

“It’s time we built an America where LGBTQ+ folks don’t just survive, they thrive – in every town, every state, every corner of this nation. That’s not just a dream, it’s our fundamental right as Americans.”

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