Hate crimes against the LGBT community are of a rising concern in the United States and around the world. While some believe there should not be special punishments protecting specific groups, the growing consensus argues something very different. This argument is that, since these groups are being targeted at a higher rate than the population as a whole, there must be greater protections to keep them safe. These protections take the form of hate crime laws, which carry stiff penalties in addition to the existing law.
What Are Hate Crimes?
There are already laws written that are supposed to protect people against violence of any kind, including murder. These laws carry with them stiff penalties, up to and including life in prison and death. But what about crimes perpetrated against people of specific communities? What is being done to protect groups of people who are targeted more than any others simply because of who they are.
Crimes motivated by prejudice against certain groups are called hate crimes, and they carry with them their own set of more severe penalties. While the term “hate crime” has only been around for a few decades, hate crimes have been around throughout history. Crimes against people because of their religion, race, sexual orientation and more, are not new, but steps are being taken to create and enforce laws meant to deter them.
- Hate Crime FAQs
- Human Rights Campaign: Hate Crimes and Violence Against LGBTQ People
- GLAAD: In-Focus Hate Crimes
- Hate Crimes and Violence Prevention
- Hate Crimes Are A Public Health Issue
Hate Crime Statistics
Looking into statistics regarding hate crime in the US reveals some interesting information. It reveals that most hate crimes are not violent. According the FBI, 73 percent of hate crimes involve damage to property, destruction, and vandalism. Also, according to the New York Times, the LGBT community is twice as likely to be targeted for a hate crime than any other minority group.
- Latest Hate Crime Statistics
- Victimization Among Special Populations: Sexual Minorities/LGBTs
- LGBT Youth Facts and Statistics
- Hate Crimes Against LGBT People Statistics
- Anti-Gay Hate Crimes: Doing the Math
Hate Crime Laws
The purpose of hate crime laws is to protect minority groups. It is believed that, because minority groups are targeted at such a higher rate than others, the existing laws protecting all people are not enough, and so crime motivated by prejudice must be punished to a greater extent. This is a controversial stance, but one that has gained traction in recent decades, leading to hate crime laws being on the books in nearly every state in America, and many countries around the world.
- Civil Rights Prosecutions: Hate Crimes
- How the US Is Fighting Future Hate Crimes
- Movement Advancement Project: Hate Crime Laws By State
- Hate Crime Laws in the US
- Global Discrimination Against LGBT Individuals
- How Hate Crime Laws Have Failed the LGBT Community
- Do Hate Crime Laws Work?
- Hate Crime Law Arguments Pro and Con
- Hate Crimes: A Guide for Supervisors
- Hate Crimes Fact Sheet
LGBT Rights
One of the most frustrating parts about fighting for LGBT rights is that they are no different from the rights of anyone else. LGBT people want the right to live how they like, love who they like, and simply be allowed to do the same things everyone else is allowed to do. This is not always a popular stance, and historically it has even been a dangerous one to take, but according to many polls, younger Americans overwhelmingly support LGBT rights, so the future is looking bright.
- GLAD: Legal Advocates and Defenders for the LGBT Community
- Protecting the Rights of LGBTI Individuals
- LGBT Rights Advances Stoking More Violent Hate Crimes
- LGBT Rights History: A Timeline
- LGBT Rights: Current Issues
- About LGBT Human Rights
- Everything You Need to Know About LGBT Rights in 11 Maps
- The Evolution of LGBT Rights Under Obama
- LGBT Rights: Frequently Asked Questions
- Supporting LGBT Rights Around the World
LGBT Community
The LGBT community is, by and large, a tight-knit one. While, like any community, not everyone agrees on a particular agenda, the LGBT community is consistently looking to support its own and fighting for the rights it deserves. There are many LGBT community centers across the country and around the world that serve LGBT individuals and raise money for health and societal causes.
- How Many People are In the LGBT Community
- Pandora’s Project: For LGBTQ Survivors of Rape and Sexual Abuse
- LGBT Youth Information and Resources
- FBI on Investigating Hate Crimes
- Stopping Hate Crimes in the LGBTQIA Community
- LGBT Community Centers
- Addressing the Needs of the LGBT Community in Health Centers
- Sexual Assault in the LGBT Community
- How to Close the LGBT Health Disparities Gap
- Eating Disorders in the LGBT Community
Criminal Defense Attorney:
Arcadia
Bell
Claremont
Compton
Duarte
Covina
Brought to you by our Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney – Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer.