GLAAD and the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism have released an updated tally revealing that more than 700 incidents of violence and threats targeting LGBTQ people have occurred in the past year. These incidents include murder, harassment, assault, and vandalism. According to the count, at least 26 transgender individuals have been killed in crimes motivated by anti-transgender bias since November 2022.
The release of this count comes just three days before the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting at Club Q, a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs. The attack resulted in the deaths of five people, including two transgender individuals, and injured 18 others. The shooter, Anderson Lee Aldrich, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in June after pleading guilty to multiple counts of murder and attempted murder.
GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis expressed her grief and called for action to stop the spread of anti-LGBTQ disinformation, which she believes incites violence. Ellis accused politicians and others of spreading “anti-LGBTQ lies and disinformation” in public forums and on social media, leading to violence in various settings such as schools, libraries, places of worship, school board meetings, and businesses.
The report by GLAAD also highlighted the surge in anti-LGBTQ hate speech online, with X (formerly known as Twitter) being deemed the most dangerous platform for LGBTQ people. Additionally, an FBI report released last month revealed an increase in anti-LGBTQ hate crimes, and more than 500 bills targeting LGBTQ people were introduced in state legislatures across the country this year, with at least 84 becoming law.
Sarah Kate Ellis also mentioned the murders of Lauri Carleton, who was fatally shot in August for refusing to remove a rainbow Pride flag from her clothing store in Cedar Glen, California, and O’Shae Sibley, who was killed in July for voguing to Beyoncé at a gas station in New York City.
Author: CrimeDoor
Related Posts
Hate Crimes Against Jewish and LGBTQ+ Individuals Surge in 2022, Annual Report Reveals
Remembering a Tragedy: Reflecting on the Pittsburgh Shooting Five Years Later
President Biden Warns of Increasing Violence Against LGBTQ Community on 25th Anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s Killing
Mexico City Inaugurates Mausoleum Dedicated to Transgender Women
Trial Begins for Three Tacoma Police Officers Charged in Death of Manuel Ellis
Expert Testimonies Cast Doubt on Defense’s Claim in Manny Ellis Trial