FBI Report Reveals Surge in Anti-LGBTQ+ Hate Crimes in 2023

Despite an overall drop in violent crime, hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community have increased, prompting calls for action from advocacy groups.

The FBI's annual Crime in the Nation report shows a rise in hate crimes targeting LGBTQ+ individuals, with 2,402 incidents related to sexual orientation in 2023, up from 1,947 in 2022.
Gender identity-based hate crimes also increased, with 547 incidents recorded in 2023 compared to 515 in 2022.
Overall violent crime decreased by 3% in 2023, but hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people have not shown signs of subsiding.
Advocacy groups attribute the rise in hate crimes to political attacks and disinformation, calling for comprehensive nondiscrimination protections and better hate crime reporting.
The Human Rights Campaign declared a national state of emergency for LGBTQ+ individuals in 2023, citing an increasingly hostile environment and a record number of anti-LGBTQ bills in state legislatures.