The FBI report is out with an overall 8% increase in total hate crimes based on race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin and disabilities. Sexual orientation biased hate crimes rank third behind religion and race.
In 2005 hate crimes made up 14 percent of the total hate crimes. In 2006, the number was increased to nearly 16 percent for a total of 1,195 reported crimes against the GLBT Community.
According to the HRC (Human Rights Campaign) this number may only be a fraction of what really occurs since reporting is voluntary by local and state authorities. To give an example of the differentials all we have to do is look at the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP). It is a non-profit organization that tracks crimes biased against the GLBT Community. NCAVP watches only 12 jurisdictions and reported 1,393 crimes in 2006. By comparison, the FBI report had 2,105 local and state agencies that reported 1,195 crimes on the volunteer basis.
“This FBI report confirms what the Human Rights Campaign has known for
over a decade–that hate crimes protections for the gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender community are long overdue,” said Human Rights
Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “We urge Congress to send this
legislation immediately to the President’s desk, and for the President
to sign it into law.”
Solmonese is speaking of the Matthew Shepard Act that has passed both the House and Senate but is in negotiations on the floor after it was attached to a war budget bill in an effort to get a sign-off by the President. President Bush and previously said he would veto the Hate Crimes bill should it cross his desk.
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