A new report, titled “A Crisis of Hate”, published by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP), identifies 52 instances of anti-LGBTQ homicides in 2017 – an 86% increase compared to the total number of individual reports of anti- LGBTQ homicides in 2016*. This is the equivalent of at least one homicide of an LGBTQ person in the U.S. each week.
By August 2017, the NCAVP recorded the highest number of anti-LGBTQ homicides in its 20-year history of tracking this information. Violence against marginalized communities is not new, but has been amplified and is part of the national discussion. As in the past, victims of hate violence are overwhelmingly been transgender women and queer, bi, or gay cisgender men.
Key findings in the report include:
- There was a significant increase of reports of homicides of queer, bi, or gay cisgender men, from 4 reports in 2016 to 20 reports in 2017.
- In 2017, NCAVP collected information on 27 hate-violence related homicides of transgender and gender non-conforming people this year, compared to 19 reports for 2016.
- 22 of these homicides were of transgender women of color. • Of the total number of homicides in 2017, 71% (n=37) of the victims were people of color: 31 (60%) of the victims were Black, 4 (8%) were Latin, 2 (4%) were Asian, and 1 (2%) was Native. Additionally, 12 (23%) of the victims were white and 2 victims’ racial and ethnic identity is unknown to NCAVP at this time.
- 67% of the victims were age 35 and under.
- Guns were used in 59% (n=28) of the total number of homicides thus far in 2017, including three people who were shot and killed by police.
To read the full report, including narratives of the 2017 victims, please click HERE.
In Virginia, The Virginia Anti-Violence Project works to address and end violence, with a specific focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities across the commonwealth.
In Hampton Roads, local law enforcement agencies have appointed LGBTQ community liaisons. To find your local liaison, visit our resource page HERE.
* The Pulse Nightclub massacre, which killed 49 people in 2016, is not included when calculating single-incident homicides.
