The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) has released its annual report documenting the level of hate violence experienced by LGBTQ and HIV-affected persons in the United States in 2014. The report, Hate Violence Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and HIV-Affected Communities in the United States in 2014, is the most comprehensive report on this violence in the United States. It draws on data collected from 16 anti-violence programs in 14 states across the country. States reporting were: Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia.
NCAVP’s 2014 hate violence report documents 1,359 incidents of anti-LGBTQ violence in 2014, a significant 32% decrease from the 2,001 total incidents reported in 2013. NCAVP attributes this decline to a sharp decline in reports of violence to the two major reporting NCAVP members, the New York City Anti-Violence Project and the Los Angeles LGBT Center. In New York City, a lack of high profile incidents – and, therefore, decreased public awareness about violence and reporting – may have contributed to the decline, in contrast to 2013, where there was a spike in hate violence incidents, reporting, and outreach. For the LA LGBT Center a decline in outreach staffing in 2014 contributed to this decrease in reports of incidents of violence. “This decrease should not be an indication that anti-LGBTQ hate violence is declining,” said Chai Jindasurat, Co-Director of Community Organizing and Public Advocacy at the New York City Anti-Violence Project. “In fact it should be call to action for policymakers, funders, and service providers to increase funding, legislation, public awareness and outreach that encourages reporting of hate violence incidents and promotes safety for LGBTQ and HIV-affected communities.”
While overall reports were down in 2014, reports of severe and deadly violence remain high. The number of homicides increased 11% in 2014 and the severity of violence experienced by LGBTQ and HIV-affected communities remained relatively consistent with last year. Additionally, the 2014 report continues to document multi-year trends revealing that anti-LGBTQ and HIV-affected hate violence disproportionately impacts transgender women, LGBTQ and HIV-affected communities of color, LGBTQ and HIV-affected youth and young adults, transgender people, transgender people of color, and gay men. Consistent with previous years, gay men represented the largest group of hate violence survivors and victims in 2014, and for the first time there is data showing disproportionate impact on low-income LGBTQ people, showing that hate violence remains a pervasive and persistent issue for all LGBTQ and HIV-affected people.
To read the full report go here.
