GLAAD RELEASES DATA ON ANTI-LGBTQ INCIDENTS NATIONWIDE, LAUNCHES THE ALERT DESK, A CENTRAL HUB FOR DATA AND ANALYSIS OF ANTI-LGBTQ HATE AND EXTREMISM IN THE US

The ALERT Desk tracked over 1,850 anti-LGBTQ incidents in the US, corresponding with a 112% increase in anti-LGBTQ hate from June 2022 – June 2024.

Anti-LGBTQ incidents are tracked and analyzed across society, including targeting based on sexual orientation, gender identity; intersections of race, religion and ethnic background, as well as against health care providers and facilities, educators/librarians and schools, drag artists, government and elected officials, Pride symbols, and community advocates.  

GLAAD President & CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis: “Too many anti-LGBTQ incidents go unreported and uninvestigated, as survivors navigate fears of retaliation and forced outing, fraught relationships with law enforcement, and media coverage that fails to recognize the importance of accurately reporting on LGBTQ identities. The ALERT Desk seeks to challenge these narratives by providing a dedicated space for these stories, so that we can take the first steps towards recognizing and combating anti-LGBTQ hate in the US.”

Dr. Izzy Lowell, founder of QueerMed: “Our office was burnt to the ground by arsonists in late 2023, followed by the Texas attorney general’s unlawful attempt to access our patient data. We refused to comply, and will not ever disclose HIPAA-protected data. We at QueerMed will never stop providing affirming medical care for transgender and nonbinary people, despite physical attacks and unfounded government threats.”

(New York, NY – October 3, 2024) – GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, is releasing data on the number of anti-LGBTQ incidents nationwide, and launching the ALERT Desk – Anti-LGBTQ Extremism Reporting Tracker –  a central hub for data, resources, and original reporting on hate and extremism impacting LGBTQ people in the US.

Visit the ALERT Desk here.

The FBI recently announced that violent crime is down 3%, while hate crimes against LGBTQ people increased nearly 18% in 2023. The ALERT Desk measures, analyzes, and details specifics about hate-fueled incidents targeting LGBTQ Americans and their allies.

Key Findings:

• Since June 1, 2022, the ALERT Desk tracked over 1,850 anti-LGBTQ incidents in all 50 US states and the District of Columbia.
• Incidents include 450+ protests, 330+ propaganda drops, 320+ acts of vandalism, 200+ bomb & mass shooting threats, 130+ assaults, and 45+ cases of arson, resulting in 161 injuries and 21 deaths.
• The ALERT Desk tracks year-over-year trends in anti-LGBTQ incidents from Pride Month to Pride Month. From June 2022 – 2023, we documented 524 incidents. From June 2023 – 2024, we tracked 1,109 incidents – a 112% increase in anti-LGBTQ hate.
• Hate targeting transgender and gender non-conforming people motivated over 30% of all anti-LGBTQ incidents since June 2022 (567 out of 1,850).
• The ALERT Desk also tracked 140+ incidents targeting health care providers of transgender and gender non-conforming patients since June 2022. This coincides with 26 states having passed bans on this life-saving care.
• Building on GLAAD’s anti-drag tracker, the ALERT Desk documented 365+ anti-drag incidents since June 2022.
• The ALERT Desk noted 360+ incidents targeting students, educators, and librarians at all levels of learning since June 2022, occurring alongside thousands of attempted book bans nationwide targeting LGBTQ-inclusive and other diverse books.
• Finally, the ALERT Desk tracked 325+ incidents targeting Pride flags and other symbols of the LGBTQ community since June 2022.
• GLAAD is also launching an incident reporting form to better track anti-LGBTQ hate nationally.

The inaugural report also includes the voices and experiences of those who have endured anti-LGBTQ incidents, with many targeted because of their sexual orientation and gender identity or their support for LGBTQ people and advocacy in their communities, such as health care providers, educators and librarians, drag artists, community organizers, and other allies.

From Ed Sanders, Survivor of Club Q Shooting

“Bartenders Daniel and Derrick, who were both murdered in cold blood right before my eyes that night, took care of all of us family at Club Q. They were listening ears, and kind souls. They both always poured my drinks the way I liked them. When I stayed out later, they would make sure I got home safe, often even driving me home themselves. But that night I left Club Q not with a ride from a good friend, but in an ambulance as multiple bullet wounds in my body bled.

 I was at Club Q the first weekend it opened. While I’m sure the shooter thinks he took our spirit that night he took our friends away forever, but he didn’t. We are healing. We are stronger than ever. We are more committed to love and the family we created. You cannot destroy our community by killing individuals. You can’t kill our love and our spirit, because Love Wins.”

From Bamby Salcedo, President & CEO of TheTransLatin@ Coalition:

“Trans, gender nonconforming and intersex (TGI) people continue to be under attack. Our organization has received bomb threats and receives hate mail simply because of who we are and how we are supporting members of our community. As the biggest trans-led organization in the United States, we have a responsibility to our community and to our people… We will continue to organize and strategize for us to have a better quality of life.” 

From Salina EsTitties, RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15:

“During my season [on RuPaul’s Drag Race], not only was I getting hate from anti-drag, anti-queer keyboard warriors, but I was also getting so much racially-charged hate for showcasing and being so vocal about my Latinness on the show. From death threats to straight out uncalled for comments and DMs saying I should kill myself, quit drag, or that God was punishing me and that’s why my mother passed away during my season. Just insane stuff that I still every now and again encounter on my feed.”

From Dr. Jack Turban, Pediatric Psychiatrist and Director of the Gender Psychiatry Program at the University of California, San Francisco:

“All youth and all families deserve access to healthcare without feeling unsafe or intimidated. The recent rise in violent rhetoric and misinformation about trans youth has real life consequences. Hospitals and clinics around the country have had repeated bomb threats. Innocent families are fearing for their safety. I personally have had more death threats than I can count (including ones directed at my family and dog). The threats are awful, but they won’t work. As physicians, we are always going to continue to support the families who need us.”

From Marti Gould Cummings (they/them), Nationally Recognized Drag Artist and Former Candidate for NYC City Council:

“As a drag artist who works both in the drag and political realm, I have experienced thousands of death threats over the last several years correlated to the introduction of anti-LGBTQ legislation. I’ve experienced everything from being sent photos of nooses, to threats towards my shows, to protestors gathering in-person at Pride events where I’ve performed. It’s easy to ignore online harassment until it’s too late, when it translates into real-world massacres like at Pulse nightclub in Orlando and Club Q in Colorado Springs. I’m committed to supporting this project as part of the collective effort to work diligently to protect queer people, especially our transgender community members, who are the targets of hate.”

Methodology:

Anti-LGBTQ incidents tracked by the ALERT Desk must:

• Be dated on or after June 1, 2022;
• Occur within the United States, including online incidents targeting US-based persons;
• Include an act of harassment, threat(s), vandalism, and/or assault against an individual, group, and/or organization; and
• Include an explicit indication of anti-LGBTQ hate as a motivating factor, whether by:
  a) the words or actions of the perpetrator, or
  b) where a reasonable person would conclude the victim was targeted due to a real or perceived LGBTQ identity or affiliation with the LGBTQ community.

The ALERT Desk identifies anti-LGBTQ incidents through self-reports, media reports, social media posts, and data sharing from partner organizations and law enforcement. The team works to ensure the validity and accuracy of all incidents, including cross-referencing sources, removing attempts at trolling / spam, and maintaining good data hygiene.