NGLTF report illuminates
anti-gay violence in the U.S.
April1994 ▼ PAGEIIQ-Notes
WASfflNGTON, D.C.—Statistics re
leased in a report by the National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) illuminate the
dramatic prevalence of hate-violence perpe
trated against gay men, lesbians, and bisex
uals in the United States.
The 9th atmual NGLTF survey docu
ments 1,813 anti-gay incidents in six U.S.
cities in 1993, including harassment, threats,
physical assault, van^ism, arson, police
abuse, kidnapping, extortion, and murder.
This total, while troubling, represents a wel
come 14% decrease in anti-gay incidents
over the all-time high of 2,103 incidents
reported in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Min
neapolis/St. Paul, New York City, and San
Francisco during 1992. This figure repre
sents the first aimual decline in reported anti
gay incidents after five years of a steady and
dramatic rise. While the number of overall
incidents fell, the individual incidents in
1993 comprised a higher number of offenses
per incident. Nationwide, the severity of
anti-gay incidents rose by 22%, from 1.6
offenses per incident in 1992 to 1.9.
“While any decline is welcome, it is too
early to draw conclusions on whether 1993
numbers indicate a downward trend,” said
Martin Hiraga, Director of NGLTF’s Anti-
Violence Project and author of the report.
“Anti-gay violence is still an epidemic out of
control in this country.”
In Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul,
New York City, and San Francisco, the five
cities recording anti-gay violence since 1988,
anti-gay incidents increased 127% over the
six year period, from 697 incidents in 1988 to
1,584.
The highest number of anti-gay episodes
were recorded in New York City (587),
followed by San Francisco (366), Minneap
olis/St Paid (240), Denver (229), Chicago
(204), and Boston (187). Because of under
reporting by victims, it is estimated that
these figures reflect only a fraction of the
actual number of incidents that occurred in
the six urban areas last year. Evidence in this
report shows that in one community a signif
icant percentage of victims did not report
their incidents because they fear public dis
closure of their sexual orientation.
Anti-gay arson was the most serious form
of offense to increase this year. Arson rose
200% from 2 incidents in 1992 to 6 in 1993.
Vandalism also rose 10%from 141 incidents
in 1992 to 155 in 1993. Bomb threats in
creased 8% from 13 incidents in 1992 to 14
in 1993. Harassment—^personalized, con
frontational incidents in which lesbians, gay
men, and bisexuals are intimidated face-to-
face, on the phone or by mail—rose 35%
from 1230 incidents in 1992 to 1665 in 1993.
Reports of threats and menacing dropped
9% from 667 incidents to 605. Physical
assaults, or gay-bashing, fell 16% in the six
cities from 848 incidents in 1992 to 710 in
1993. Robberies declined 28% from 85 to
61. Reports of police abuse dipped 3 6% from
248 to 161. Anti-gay murders fell 50% from
14to7. Murders in which the victim’ssexual
orientation was one of several factors de
clined 25% from 24 to 18.
Only 322 anti-gay crimes were reported
to local police in six cities. Police reports
declined 14% in 1993 from 375 in 1992.
The decline in anti-gay episodes could
reflect a variety of factors, according to
Hiraga. These include increased outreach by
lesbian, gay and bisexual crime prevention
education programs, greater vigilance against
anti-gay violence by local law enforcement
officials, and enhanced penalties in local
hate crime statutes. However, these figures
also indicate that homophobic violence re
mained an on-going and prevalent problem
in the six urban areas during the past year.
Intolerance fomented by Far Right opera
tives may have contributed to anti-gay vio
lence in many commimities. For example,
Denver victim advocates documented a 12%
surge in homophobic incidents during 1993
in the wake of the passage of Amendment 2,
an anti-gay ballot initiative in Colorado. In
1992, Denver advocates received 41 % of the
year’s reports in November and December,
Continued on page 34
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