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Hate Crimes
Hate crimes are significant danger for the transgender community. Working to address and prevent hate motivated violence is critical for transgender equality.
Report a Hate Crime
NCTE tracks discrimination and hate crimes against trans people. Please use this form to report a hate crime.
Hate Crimes Laws
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont have hate crime laws which include gender identity or expression. For a map of the United States showing hate crimes laws by state, please click here.
NCTE's Statement on the Day of Remembrance 2008
The shooting deaths of Duanna Johnson and Tiesh Green in recent days remind us poignantly of the devastating impact of violence on the lives of transgender people. Johnson had previously been the victim of a beating by police officers, an incident captured on videotape, which led to the firing of the officers earlier this year. Both murders are still under investigation. We extend our condolences to the families and loved ones of both women as they grieve their loss.
Violence against transgender people continues to occur with chilling frequency. Prejudice and hatred exact a devastating toll through assaults, rapes, murders and other acts of violence and through the impact of discrimination in employment, health care, public accommodations and even within families. Racism compounds the situation as transgender people of color are targeted even more frequently for violence and discrimination. The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs reported a troubling 24% rise in violence against LGBT people over the previous year, including a significant and disturbing increase in reports from transgender men. [Read the report]
All too often, people face violence because of who they are—because of the color of their skin, their national origin, their gender identity, their sexual orientation, their economic status and more. In a country which prides itself on our commitment to freedom, we must ensure the right to live free from violence and prejudice and free to express ourselves in life-giving and life-sustaining ways.
At NCTE, the Day of Remembrance is a time to recommit ourselves to taking action to create a safer world for transgender people. We call for:
- Fully inclusive federal hate crimes legislation, including funding for tracking hate motivated violence based on gender identity and the development of prevention programs that address the epidemic of violence against transgender people
- Comprehensive education in our communities to decrease prejudice and increase understanding of transgender lives, including partnerships with law enforcement anti-bias units and community anti-violence groups
- Work in partnership with other organizations to address hate-motivated violence aimed at communities of color, immigrants, the poor, and other targeted groups
- An end to “trans panic” defenses that unfairly blame the victim of violence for the fears, prejudices and actions of the perpetrators
- Respectful treatment of victims of hate crimes, including appropriate names and pronouns in media coverage, law enforcement reports and public discussion, and compassionate, healing care that addresses the specific needs of transgender people who been personally impacted by a bias-motivated crime
Violence is never an appropriate response to differences in our society. We believe that we can live in harmony and honor the diversity that forms our nation. One way in which we honor the victims of the devastating violence that took their lives is to create a world in which no one else suffers the same fate.
