Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate program. The program is supported by partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to https://www.cavshate.org/
By Aldon Thomas Stiles
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), hate crimes targeting the LGBTQIA+ community in California were on the rise between 2022 and 2023, despite the state seeing a decline in overall hate crimes.
While the frequency of overall hate crimes reported to the California Attorney General’s Office (OAG) between 2022 and 2023 decreased by 8.9%, 24.2% of all hate crimes reported to the OAG were LGBTQIA+ hate crimes.
According to the California DOJ, anti-LGBTQIA+ hate crime incidents grew by 86.4%.
“As this report makes clear, homophobia and transphobia can all-too-easily morph into something even more dangerous,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a letter of this year’s DOJ State of Pride report. “This rise of hate is unacceptable, and we will not stand for it.”
On July 9, the DOJ’s Office of Community Awareness Response and Engagement (CARE) held their annual hate crime report briefing during which members of the CARE Team discussed the report’s findings on overall hate crimes and how the state plans to address them.
Among the next steps the state plans to take based on the report are reaching out to communities that, on average, are reporting less hate crimes than other communities, billboard campaigns, regular updates for underserved communities and “community-specific engagement” through grants and partnerships, including a subgrant with California Black Media.
During the presentation, the DOJ identified organizations that they are partnering with to quell hate crimes in the state, including the California Department of Social Services, the California State Library, and the OAG.
The DOJ intends on taking a “community-centered approach” to their efforts to address hate, ensuring collaboration with community organizations.
These next steps include connecting with culturally competent resources, improving hate incident and crime reporting and continued training in cultural competency
Of the reports made to the OAG, 18.4% cited discriminatory treatment, 16.7% reported verbal harassment and 16.7% reported incidents of the use of slurs.
According to the report, 29.9% of these incidents were reported to occur in residential areas, 9.7% in the workplace and 9.1% in public facilities.
“Everyone has a part to play as we continue to fight prejudice and create safer communities in California,” Bonta stated in a press release. “I urge everyone to review the data and resources available and recommit to standing united against hate.”
In the press release, Bonta spoke about the responsibility of the state to address these issues.
“The California Department of Justice has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to hate, and will continue working with law enforcement, elected leaders, and community organizations across the state to keep our communities safe through education, prevention, and enforcement,” he said.
To report hate incidents or crimes, visit the California Civil Rights Department website, or call 833-8-NO-HATE.
