The response to our first LGBTQ+ Safe Spaces National Needs Assessment gives an important and in-depth look at the violence and threats our communities face.
This is the first-ever national survey exploring hate violence directed at LGBTQ+ community-serving and -affirming organizations and businesses in the United States. In the LGBTQ+ community, much attention has been paid to the rising rates of interpersonal incidents of hate violence—acts of violence committed by individuals against other individuals because of their real or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. By all accounts, rates of anti-LGBTQ+ hate violence have been on the rise for many years. More recently, this hate violence has been exacerbated by the current polarized political and social climate in the United States. Though LGBTQ+ people represent around 7% of the population in the United States (Jones, 2023), they are nine times more likely to experience violent hate crimes (The Williams Institute, 2022).
It is no surprise that this hate and violence is also impacting LGBTQ+ organizations and businesses. Acts of hate violence committed against schools, faith-based organizations, and other institutions and public spaces in African American, Jewish, Muslim, and other racial and ethnic communities have long been documented and studied. Yet, the ways LGBTQ+ institutions and public spaces are impacted by anti-LGBTQ+ hate are just beginning to get attention.
The data and accounts from groups across the county collected in this report make it clear that information about the threats and violence aimed at LGBTQ+ organizations, as well as an organized response, are much needed and long overdue. 8
AVP is proud to release Under Attack: 2022 LGBTQ+ Safe Spaces National Needs Assessment report, a first-ever large survey of LGBTQ+ organizations and groups nationwide about hate violence and prevention needs. You can find the report here. We hope to engage LGBTQ+ spaces, businesses and organizations nationwide to help share the results and drive important conversations in all communities nationwide about LGBTQ+ community safety.
