Anti-transgender hate crimes spike, leading to calls for a public health emergency [View all]

Anti-transgender hate crimes spike, leading to calls for a public health emergency
An Advocate data analysis found that in Los Angeles County and across the country, hate crimes against transgender people are reaching historic highs.
SAMSON AMORE
MARCH 20 2024 4:42 PM EST

For decades, transgender Americans have lived under a constant threat of violence. Whether at their homes, places of work or in public, there seemingly is nowhere out of reach from hate.

In the last 20 years, hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people of all types have risen at historic rates across the country. And since 2016, Los Angeles -- the nation's second-biggest city has seen a startling rise in violence motivated by hate against its transgender residents, though it is ranked as one of most friendly to queer and trans people in the U.S.

The Advocate compiled data from the years 2003-2022. A primary source was the LA County Commission on Human Relations (LACCHR), which has tracked hate crime data in the area for 25 years.

In 2022, there were 44 recorded anti-transgender hate crimes in the county, the highest number ever on record and a 20-year high. Seventy-two percent of those crimes were violent, also reaching a two-decade high since 2003.

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