Anti-gay hate crim fell slightly 2020, while anti-trans crim rose, FBI says

Contents:

• THE SOLUTN TO "GAY" INSULTS: FREEDOM OF SPEECH
• ANTI-GAY HATE CRIM FELL SLIGHTLY 2020, WHILE ANTI-TRANS CRIM ROSE, FBI SAYS
• LGBT HATE CRIM DOUBLE RSIA AFTER BAN ON 'GAY PROPAGANDA'

THE SOLUTN TO "GAY" INSULTS: FREEDOM OF SPEECH

Five gay, male iends, some of whom were wearg makp and jewelry, were exg a well-known gay bar when they were approached by a group of men who were unknown to them. If an onle crime is motivated by homophobia, biphobia or transphobia, is a hate crime regardls of whether the person targeted inti as LGBT+. Bullyg, abe, harassment, hostily or hatred that may not be a crime but is homophobic, biphobic or transphobic n still be reported to the police to rerd as a non-crimal ‘hate cint’.

In the Uned Stat between 2004 and 2009, 42 urt s were cid that volved claims of homosexualy as famatn.

Dpe: 1) judg three stat lg is not famatory to ll someone gay; 2) the Supreme Court strikg down sodomy laws natnwi 2003 via Lawrence v. Texas, thereby removg sodomy and the implitn of crimal activy as a jtifitn for famatn; and 3) posive shifts public opn about gays and lbians the U. And numero policy chang at the lol, state, and feral levels, there has been a dramatic crease the number of famatn s pertag to claims of homosexualy but paratively few answers provid by urts as to why.

ANTI-GAY HATE CRIM FELL SLIGHTLY 2020, WHILE ANTI-TRANS CRIM ROSE, FBI SAYS

Feral and state famatn lgs regardg claims of homosexualy did not parallel other legal advancements and posive shifts public attus toward gay men and lbians. Among the s analyzed, one portn of which clud fendants’ verbal and/or wrten accatns of platiffs’ prumed or affirmed sexual orientatn, behavr, or inti, claims of homosexualy as famatory failed 38 out of 42 s bee judg granted summary judgment for the fendants, dismissed the s altogether, or nclud that statements were not pable of beg famatory.

Overwhelmgly, judg failed to directly addrs whether claims of homosexualy are famatory today, a liberate oversight that is problematic for several reasons.

LGBT HATE CRIM DOUBLE RSIA AFTER BAN ON 'GAY PROPAGANDA'

When judg or state legislatur choose not to addrs whether imputatns of homosexualy are famatory, all are left wh an plete picture of the issue, which may turn rult both a higher number of famatn s and more nfn the ongog equaly battle. In the Uned Stat today, gays and lbians do not share equal rights wh heterosexuals, yet signifint advancements have been ma the last , such as repeals of the ary’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), 12 stat offerg marriage to all rints, and Print Obama signg the Matthew Shepard and Jam Byrd, Jr.

The policy chang, bed wh the fact that famatn law reli on social mor, renrs the issue of homosexualy as famatory a relevant, ever-changg topic for vtigatn for dividuals ncerned wh equaly any pacy. As gays and lbians secure more civil rights njunctn wh chang public opn, is likely that judg’ lgs will be more cled to mirror public opn, as happened prr famatn s. Yet, as the ntradictory lgs of two New York judg recently illtrated, public opn alone do not always lead to non-famatory lgs wh the same geographic lole, nor do the existence of same-sex relatnship regnn and other laws affordg gays and lbians equal rights.

Defamatn lgs feed to public opn, as cizens look to the law to tablish social norms, creatg a proverbial chicken-or-the-egg bate wh the likelihood of stuntg policy change and possibly further ntributg to the bullyg-related youth suicis among dividuals who intify as or are perceived to be lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, or queer (LGBTQ). For example, public opn rearch suggts that homosexualy ntu to be a polarizg issue Amerin polics, and judg at all levels may be allowg their own attus towards homosexualy to terfere, as appeared to be the se wh Chief Jtice Warren Burger the Lawrence v.