On LGBTQ+ hate crimes in the United States
Pride Month is here. It is a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, and to reckon with the hatred that got us to this point.
Since 1958, there have been 408 documented acts of violence against members of the LGBTQ+ community in the United States alone. Nearly half of those hate crimes were murders. That number only includes cases that made headlines. The real number is so much worse.
GLAAD reported that there have been over 900 acts of violence this year alone. Between June 1, 2022 and April 30, 2025, there have been 2,879 incidents.
The information below is the Human Rights Campaign’s breakdown of the 41 acts of fatal violence committed against the transgender and gender-expansive communities in 2022.
Between December 2024 and May 2025, the ACLU reports that 588 bills have been introduced against the LGBTQ+ communities. The bills target their rights in schools, the workplace, the military, healthcare, sports, and so much more.
Bills that become laws could censor curriculums, forcefully out LGBTQ+ students, ban people from commonplace activities, and even challenge the right to their own identity.
It’s completely fucked.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs found that suicidal ideation is roughly 60% higher among veterans they described using outdated and stigmatizing terms such as “gender identity disorder, gender identity disorder not otherwise specified, transsexualism, and transvestic fetishism.”
Labeling identities as “disorders” is harmful and infuriating.
In 2019, Piers Morgan asked Trump why he felt the need to ban transgender people from the military. He said it was because they have to “take a massive amounts of drugs,” which he said are required after an operation and that would be breaking the rules.
There is not much of a narrative up to this point in the post, and that is a conscious decision. We need to see the cold, hard facts to realize just how extremely dangerous the situation is. Our friends, neighbors, loved ones, and even those who have served this country are being so marginalized that, for some, death feels like the only option.
Trans veterans who served this country for decades have jumped off of buildings or have been found dead in their cars. It is shameful that we let our country get to this level of degrading and dehumanizing people who are different.
In 2022, The Guardian estimated that more than 50% of trans and non-binary youths in the United States considered suicide that year.
The children we brought into this world want to leave it because we have made them feel like they do not belong. They do not feel safe and, sadly, many of them aren’t.
Keep in mind that all of these numbers only account for incidents within the United States. Despite the swing the country has taken to the far right, it still not even close to being the world’s most hateful and discriminatory country. The global statistics would be gutting.
Can you imagine if your identity and private life are scrutinized at such a level that it could push you to suicide?
Mustaches are banned. You are no longer allowed in the military. Get out, you no-good crumb catchers. You are not welcome here.
You prefer soccer to American football? You can’t play sports anymore. Tough shit. We’re going to ruin lives because of this.*
That last example is, of course, a twist on what happened this year with a transgender student at the University of Pennsylvania. They committed the crime of swimming, and the president responded by pulling $175 million in funding from the school. That deficit cost 300 people their jobs.
These types of choices made by federal and local governments, school districts, religious institutions, and athletic associations are nothing more than institutionalized hate crimes, abstracted into policy so that no one person bears responsibility.
So, how do we change this? Do we rise up and start a revolution? No, we do not. Combatting hate with hate is not a universal solution.
For many, change really does start at home. Accept people for who they are. Show empathy, patience, and support. You do not need to hang a pride flag or start going to drag shows. That is not what members of this community need right now. What they need is to know they are safe.
You may not fully understand or relate to their experiences, but that does not preclude you from giving them the space to be themselves.
If your past has been shaped by hate, intolerance, or ignorance, giving space is a powerful first step. It is okay to begin from a place of confusion or uncertainty. What matters most is resisting the urge to react with fear or hostility. Hate begets hate and curbing those fearful urges can prevent that.
Listen. Communicate. Be patient and respectful. Keep them safe. For the most part, these are small changes. But if even a small portion of people can make them, those terrifying statistics could begin to drop.
* These examples are not meant to make someone’s identity or personality seem like a choice or preference. Rather, it is meant to highlight the absurdity and arbitrariness of the hatred and discrimination felt. Who you are as a person should never be questioned.
This post was originally published on Medium.
