(Photo: The Arizona Republic)

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) and over 30 of its members across the U.S. released their annual report on violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. The 78-page report examines data compiled from 2,430 LGBT people who experienced hate violence in regions across the country including: Chicago, Los Angeles, Columbus, Colorado, Houston, Texas, Kansas City, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, the New York City area, Pennsylvania, the San Francisco Bay area, Vermont, and Wisconsin. NCAVP’s report is the most complete examination of hate violence against LGBT people in the United States. 

Overall, NCAVP’s 2007 report noted an alarming 24% increase in total number of victims reporting incidents of anti-LGBT violence (from 1,954 to 2,430). Additionally, 2007 had the third highest murder rate in the past 10 years that NCAVP has been compiling the Hate Violence Report (see chart of known anti-LGBT murders in the U.S. since 1997 below) with murders more than doubling (from 10 in 2006 to 21 in 2007). LGBT people also reported a 61% increase in sexual assaults perpetrated as hate crimes. While this increase is disturbing, Jovida Ross, Executive Director of Community United Against Violence in San Francisco states: “The fact that more people within the queer community are reporting sexual assaults is a hopeful sign that they are coming out of isolation to heal from trauma. It also demonstrates the positive impact of education and outreach.”
It is worth noting that 2007 saw the most sizeable increases in anti-LGBT incidents in the nation’s midsection. Those regions included: Minnesota (+85, 135%), Michigan (+201, 207%), and Kansas City (+17, 142%). Other regions reporting increased numbers of victims in 2007 over 2006 include San Francisco (+24, 7%) and Pennsylvania (+10, 28%). Encouragingly, regions reporting decreases in numbers of victims in 2007 include New York City with 82 fewer victims than in 2006 (-14%) and Colorado (-27%), which received 45 fewer reports. The largest increase recorded in 2007 was in Michigan where the Attorney General concluded a three-year campaign against domestic partnership benefits. 

For more information on the report, click here.