The Final Count Is In.

Of the anti-LGBTQ+ harassment during Pride, and it is bad news as if you haven’t guested already.

Anti-LGBTQ+ hate and extremism spiked during Pride Month 2023, report finds

A recent report has revealed a shocking increase in hate and extremism during Pride Month 2023, compared to previous years.

Pink News

By Amelia Hansford

July 14, 2023

Research conducted for and published by GLAAD and the Anti-Defamation League found that there were at least 145 anti-LGBTQ+ extremist incidents reported in the US during June’s Pride Month this year.

It also found that, from June 2022 to April 2023, at least 356 extremist incidents took place in the US against LGBTQ+ people and groups.

These reported incidents included 305 cases of harassment, 40 incidents of vandalism and 11 reported assaults.

Among the 46 total US states that saw documented cases, California, Florida, New York and Texas had the highest number of incidents.

[...]

According to findings, between June 2022 and April 2023, 49 per cent of all incidents were perpetrated wholly or substantially by individuals with association to extremist, right-wing groups.

Anyone surprised?

And we were not the only one’s targeted by the right-wing.

Many of these incidents also merged with other forms of hate, with 128 citing antisemitic tropes and 30 involving racist rhetoric.

Ever since the 2009 bias crimes have increased… Hmm.

Oregon Public Broadcasting reported that in Oregon,

Calls to the state Justice Department hotline increased 74% from 2021 to 2022. Last year, the hotline received 2,534 reports of bias incidents and crimes. Despite the rise, “underreporting is extensive,” the report states. The confidential hotline doesn’t investigate each report but does help callers connect with resources after experiencing a bias incident or crime. Sometimes that includes helping the caller make a report to police.

DOJ officials point out that while they are alarmed by the reports, the hotline is still relatively new and increased calls are a sign that people are discovering it.

[...]

The document lists a number of key findings from the past year, including:

• Anti-Black/African American bias continues to be the largest category, making up a quarter of the reports.
• As schools have reopened after the pandemic, reports of bias incidents there have also increased from 36 in 2020 to 408 reports last year.
• Bias-motivated reports targeting people who identify as LGBTQ+ increased between 2021 and last year, with reports targeting sexual orientation up 97% and gender identity up more than 150%.
• Reports targeting religion also increased, with antisemitic reports making up 75% of anti-religious reports since 2020.
• Anti-Asian reports decreased slightly last year compared to 2021 when such reports rose as a result of hateful rhetoric related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Less than one-third of people charged with a bias crime last year were convicted of any charge. Most defendants, according to the report, are sentenced to probation, and few go to prison on a bias charge conviction. The report notes that some prosecutors may be incorrectly classifying hateful behavior as mental health issues. It suggested more research on the topic.

“Remember, these are people behind each and every one of these reports,” said Fay Stetz-Waters, director of civil rights for the Oregon Department of Justice. “It’s courageous for people to be able to share what happened to them.”

Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) reported that from 2009 to 2019,

• From 2010 to 2019, the number of hate crime incidents recorded by law enforcement increased by 10%, from 6,628 reported incidents to 7,314 incidents. By comparison, the total volume of reported crime—including both hate and nonhate incidents—decreased 22% during the 10-year period.
• The number of hate crime victims increased 7% from 2010 to 2019.
• More than half (54%) of hate crime incidents reported to the HCSP were motivated by bias against the victim’s race, ethnicity, or ancestry.
• Among victims of hate crime during the 5-year aggregate period of 2015–19, nearly half (49%) were victims of anti-black or anti-African American bias.
• Anti-Asian bias accounted for 3% of both incidents and victims of race, ethnicity, or ancestry bias during 2015–1.

The Department of Justice reported for 2019...

Anti-Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender (Mixed Group): 410

And for bias crimes against religion...

A total of 1,590 incidents related to religion were reported; the largest categories of religion included:

• Anti-Jewish incidents: 51.4% of religion-related incidents
• Anti-Sikh incidents: 11.6%
• Anti-Islamic incidents: 9.6%
• Anti-Catholic incidents: 6.1%
• Anti-Eastern Orthodox (Russian, Greek, Other): 3.1%

After 2019 the number of states reporting bias crimes have dropped because of a change over in the reporting system.

To report a bias crime in Connecticut…

Contact the Hate Crimes Investigative Unit of the Connecticut State Police at hate.crimes@ct.gov

Call your local police or 

To report a Connecticut or other state bias crime… 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov.

You can submit a tip anonymously.

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This is a switch week... I am heading home for a doctor's appointment, a cookout over the weekend and then back up to the Cape. So most of my posts were written over the weekend.