According to data from the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project (AVP), the dramatic increase in reports of hate incidents targeting the city’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender population noted in the weeks following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Lawrence v. Texas case, which struck down sodomy laws across the nation, continued through the end of 2003.
‘According to our preliminary data, run in preparation for production of the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Program’s (NCAVP) annual report on anti-LGTB violence, there was a 53% increase in the number of LGTB
hate victims and a 43% increase in the number of incidents in New York City in the last six months of 2003, when compared with the same period in 2002,’ said Clarence Patton, AVP’s Director of Community Organizing and Public Advocacy, and NCAVP’s Acting Executive Director.
‘Hateful rhetoric turns into hateful acts, and there is clearly a problem here in New York City that absolutely needs to be addressed. Even according to the NYPD, anti-lesbian and gay reports rose 29% in all of 2003, but rose a frightening 82% in the last six months of the year—this is simply unacceptable. AVP hopes to work with all of the City’s leadership in expanding our commitments to ‘zero tolerance’ of hate, and developing strategies to put an end to this trend of increasing violence,’ said Richard Haymes, AVP’s Executive Director.