In states with laws targeting LGBTQ issues, school hate crimes quadrupled

[Jessica_Rose]

In states with laws targeting LGBTQ issues, school hate crimes quadrupled

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/in-states-with-laws-targeting-lgbtq-issues-school-hate-crimes-quadrupled/ar-BB1jKJpU?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6f472dc0b40e4a718d9fe27be9847ddb&ei=28

Story by Laura Meckler, Hannah Natanson, John D. Harden (12 March 2024)

School hate crimes targeting LGBTQ+ people have sharply risen in recent years, climbing fastest in states that have passed laws restricting LGBTQ student rights and education, a Washington Post analysis of FBI data finds.

In states with restrictive laws, the number of hate crimes on K-12 campuses has more than quadrupled since the onset of a divisive culture war that has often centered on the rights of LGBTQ+ youth.

At the same time, calls to LGBTQ+ youth crisis hotlines have exploded, with some advocates drawing a connection between the spike in bullying and hate crimes, and the political climate.

LGBTQ+ students have long dealt with bullying and harassment at school, but some students are feeling particularly vulnerable due to the wave of legislation. They are also on edge following the death of Nex Benedict, a nonbinary teenager who died after a fight in their Oklahoma public school bathroom.

Young people will say, "`My government hates me,' 'My school hates me,' `They don't want me to exist,'" said Lance Preston, the group's founder and executive director. "That ... is absolutely unacceptable. That is shocking."