538: Hate crimes against LGBT people are sadly common

[pnwmom]

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/hate-crimes-against-lgbt-people-are-sadly-common/

The massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando on Sunday was the worst mass shooting in American history and the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since Sept. 11. Through another lens, however, it was not an outlier. The gunman’s choice of target, a gay club, makes him just one of many to commit hate crimes against gay Americans. Although the magnitude and violence of the attack was unusual, the targeting of LGBT Americans is sadly common.

Of 5,462 “single-bias incidents” (hate-crime incidents with one motivation) in the FBI’s 2014 hate crime statistics database, 1,115, about a fifth, were motivated by bias against a sexual orientation or gender identity.1 (This count is almost certainly much lower than the actual number of hate crimes. Data on hate crimes is notoriously difficult to collect, as it relies heavily on self-reporting and many hate crimes are never categorized as such.) Of those incidents, 54 percent targeted gay men specifically. Only two groups were the targets of more hate crimes than gay men: black and Jewish people. (Obviously, all these groups aren’t mutually exclusive.)

Taking into account the relatively small size of the LGBT population, these numbers are even starker. According to an analysis by the Southern Poverty Law Center using FBI hate crime data and population estimates, LGBT Americans are targeted in hate crimes at 8.3 times the rate you’d expect based on the size of their population; that’s higher than the rate for both Jews (at 3.5) and black people (at 3.2).

[Bluenorthwest]

1. I've posted these stats many times on apathetic DU. Not only as LGBT advocacy but when making

the point about antisemitic attacks. DU does not care. If a Muslim is spoken to crossly, DU has a meltdown, but open violence toward LGBT or Jews is of absolutely no concern to most on DU and a few on DU celebrate such violence. Yes they do.

One of our candidates got attacked on DU by bigots for months, the bigots confessed to being bigots, but their cohort waved it all away and said the bigots were the ones who were wronged, they should be instantly forgiven and put in the seat of judgement of others.

[steve2470]

2. As you know, I do care

I am always in solidarity with our LGBT, Jewish and AA communities. Many times I'm too lazy or conflict-avoidant to say anything, but I'll do my best to always support these communities. I have my weaknesses like we all, but yes, count me in as always one of your allies!

[King_David]

3. +1