Anti-LGBTQ Hate Crimes Jump 9% in 2024, FBI Finds
FBI data shows crimes based on sexual orientation were the third most common type of bias-motivated incident in 2024.
The number of crimes specifically targeting LGBTQ adults rose sharply in 2024, with the FBI reporting 2,805 single-bias incidents — a 9% increase over the 2,575 reported in 2023.
Of those incidents, 81% targeted people for their real or perceived sexual orientation and 19% for their real or perceived gender identity. Both categories rose over 2023, with sexual-orientation attacks up 8% and gender-identity attacks up 12%.
Notably, the 2024 sexual-orientation category includes 26 cases in which heterosexual people were allegedly victims of bias-motivated crimes.
According to the FBI, crimes targeting sexual orientation made up 17.2% of all reported hate crimes in 2024, the third most common bias category. Race and ethnicity accounted for 51.8%, religion for 24.6%, and gender identity for 4.1%.
The FBI reports that nationwide hate crimes reached their second-highest level since Congress began tracking anti-bias incidents in 1990. Black and Jewish Americans were the most frequently targeted, followed by LGBTQ people. Within the LGBTQ category, gay men were the most targeted, ranking third among all identity groups — ahead of white or Hispanic people targeted for their race or ethnicity.
The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program includes only incidents reported to law enforcement that meet strict hate-crime criteria. Many anti-LGBTQ incidents may go unreported or be classified differently, meaning the actual numbers are likely higher, according to The Pride, a Los Angeles-based LGBTQ newspaper.
The Pride notes that actions such as online harassment, doxing, or distributing propaganda flyers often are not counted in hate crime totals. Advocates add that many LGBTQ victims avoid reporting crimes due to fears of retaliation, forced outing, or negative interactions with police.
Sarah Moore, head of GLAAD’s ALERT Desk, which tracks hate and extremism targeting LGBTQ people in the U.S., called the rise in anti-LGBTQ hate crimes “appalling.”
“FBI hate crime statistics are vital to understand how the federal government tracks and combats bias-motivated crimes — but these numbers will never tell the full story,” Moore said in a statement. “We must continue to hear and uplift the voices of local LGBTQ leaders and our community partners to mitigate violence against all communities. Together, we can push back on hate for good.”
GLAAD’s ALERT Desk documented 932 anti-LGBTQ incidents in 2024, averaging 2.5 per day, with more than half targeting transgender and gender-nonconforming people. The group links the increase to rising anti-transgender rhetoric and legislation at both federal and state levels.
“[A]nti-equality politicians continue to spread lies about LGBTQ+ people, trying to push us out of more and more corners of society,” Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson said in a statement. “Those smears come with a cost. The FBI has exposed a chilling reality: our community remains a target of violence — and that is unacceptable.”
Robinson said the hate crime data “has revealed a national emergency hiding in plain sight.”
Get more LGBTQ news, data analysis, and human rights coverage — sign up for Metro Weekly’s free digital magazine at www.metroweekly.com/subscribe.
More from Metro Weekly:
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.