Safety & Hate Crimes
Acts of Anti-LGBTIQ violence are those in which
victims are chosen because of their actual or perceived sexual
orientation and/or gender identity.
Acts of bias-motivated
violence are also committed based on religion, disability,
race, ethnicity, age, and national origin. Some acts of
bias-motivated violence, or hate violence, may also be
classified as hate crimes, depending on how the law is written
where you live.
Some places have hate crimes laws that address
how a crime should be investigated, charged, and/or sentenced
if bias is proven to be a motive.
Forty-two states and the District of Columbia
have laws against hate crimes. Of those, 21 include sexual
orientation in categories protected.
Hate violence or hate
crimes may include property crimes (robbery, vandalism),
threats, intimidation, or actual acts of physical violence.
Hate violence is unique because of its tendency to send
messages to entire groups - as well as to their families and
other supporters - that they are unwelcome and unsafe in
particular communities.
Most acts of hate violence are not
committed by organized hate groups, but more frequently are
committed by otherwise law-abiding people who often believe
that they have societal permission to engage in anti-GLBTI
violence.
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