Latest news with #ALERTDesk
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
52% of anti-LGBTQ+ attacks targeted transgender and gender nonconforming people
Transgender and gender non-conforming people were the targets of over half the incidents of anti-LGBTQ+ harassment, vandalism, threats, and assault reported in the past year, a new report has found. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. There were 932 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents between May 1, 2024 and May 1, 2025 – equal to 2.5 incidents every day, according to the third annual report from the ALERT Desk, GLAAD's Anti-LGBTQ Extremism Reporting Tracker. Violent attacks accounted for 84 injuries and 10 deaths. Trans and gender non-conforming people were the targets of 485 (52 percent) of the 932 incidents, marking a 14 percent increase from last year's data. These cases of assault and harassment coincide with Donald Trump's anti-trans executive orders, the report notes, as well as his $212 million ad campaign attacking trans people during the 2024 election. 'This year, rollbacks in LGBTQ visibility and challenges to our rights are coupled with a sharp rise in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and disinformation across social media and political campaigns" GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. "The result is a divisive cultural climate that comes at a cost." State and local government, including elected officials and city council members, were the targets of 181 incidents, up 57 percent from 2023-2024. Students, teachers, professors, administrative staff, and librarians were the targets of 270 incidents – mostly at school board meetings – up 10 percent from last year. In contrast, 83 incidents targeted drag performers and venues, including 16 bomb threats and four assaults, marking a 55 percent decrease from 2023-2024. Pride flags and other LGBTQ+ symbols were the targets of 208 incidents, down 25 percent from the previous year. "Data from GLAAD's ALERT Desk shows the need for an urgent response," Ellis continued. "90 percent of non-LGBTQ Americans believe that the LGBTQ community deserves to live free from violence and discrimination. It's only through awareness, collective action, and community that we can turn the tide toward greater safety and acceptance.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
More than 900 anti-LGBTQ incidents recorded over last year: GLAAD
The LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD on Monday said it tracked nearly 1,000 incidents over the last year specifically targeting LGBTQ people in the U.S., a statistic the group said was worrying but that also represented a more than 20 percent decline over the previous year. Between May 1, 2024, and May 1, 2025, GLAAD's ALERT Desk, an online tracker of anti-LGBTQ extremism in the U.S., recorded 932 anti-LGBTQ incidents in 49 states and Washington, D.C., the equivalent of 2.5 incidents each day. Violent attacks over the past year have resulted in 84 injuries and 10 deaths, the group said Monday. 'We know that there is this massive amount of hate and violence that LGBTQ people in the U.S. are experiencing on a daily basis, and we know that this is kind of different, sort of, depending on the different activities that people are engaging in or the different identities that people hold within the community,' said Sarah Moore, an anti-LGBTQ extremism analyst at GLAAD who heads the ALERT Desk initiative. More than half of all incidents last year targeted transgender and gender-nonconforming people, for instance, up 14 percent from the previous year. 'This goes along with the really intense conversations that we're having right now around trans rights,' said Moore. President Trump since returning to office in January has issued a flurry of executive orders targeting transgender Americans, including one proclaiming the U.S. recognizes only two sexes, male and female. Others aim to bar trans people from serving openly in the military, end federal support for gender-affirming care for minors and ban transgender athletes from competing in girls' and women's sports. More than 580 bills targeting LGBTQ rights were introduced this year in state legislatures, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, and a disproportionate amount would impact transgender people. According to Monday's report, at least 181 anti-LGBTQ incidents recorded over the last year targeted state and local governments, including state elected officials and city council members, an increase of 57 percent over last year. Incidents targeting students, teachers and libraries rose 10 percent. Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD's president and CEO, said the data reflects speech and policy shifts targeting LGBTQ people in the U.S. 'This year, rollbacks in LGBTQ visibility and challenges to our rights are coupled with a sharp rise in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and disinformation across social media and political campaigns. The result is a divisive cultural climate that comes at a cost,' she said in a statement. 'Awareness, collective action, and urgency can turn the tide,' Ellis said. Monday's report, released on the second day of Pride, found that attacks targeting drag performers sank over the last year, dropping 55 percent from the previous year in the first year-over-year decline since GLAAD launched the ALERT Desk in 2022. The group attributed the decrease to 'the resilience and tenacity of the drag community' and better safety resources for drag performers. Qommittee, a national network of drag artists, released its first 'Drag Defense Handbook' last week to help performers fight against threats of violence and harassment and state laws against drag. Incidents targeting Pride flags and symbols also declined 25 percent from data collected between 2023 and 2024, according to the ALERT Desk. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
More than 900 anti-LGBTQ incidents recorded over last year: GLAAD
The LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD on Monday said it tracked nearly 1,000 incidents over the last year specifically targeting LGBTQ people in the U.S., a statistic the group said was worrying but that also represented a more than 20 percent decline over the previous year. Between May 1, 2024, and May 1, 2025, GLAAD's ALERT Desk, an online tracker of anti-LGBTQ extremism in the U.S., recorded 932 anti-LGBTQ incidents in 49 states and Washington, D.C., the equivalent of 2.5 incidents each day. Violent attacks over the past year have resulted in 84 injuries and 10 deaths, the group said Monday. 'We know that there is this massive amount of hate and violence that LGBTQ people in the U.S. are experiencing on a daily basis, and we know that this is kind of different, sort of, depending on the different activities that people are engaging in or the different identities that people hold within the community,' said Sarah Moore, an anti-LGBTQ extremism analyst at GLAAD who heads the ALERT Desk initiative. More than half of all incidents last year targeted transgender and gender-nonconforming people, for instance, up 14 percent from the previous year. 'This goes along with the really intense conversations that we're having right now around trans rights,' said Moore. President Trump since returning to office in January has issued a flurry of executive orders targeting transgender Americans, including one proclaiming the U.S. recognizes only two sexes, male and female. Others aim to bar trans people from serving openly in the military, end federal support for gender-affirming care for minors and ban transgender athletes from competing in girls' and women's sports. More than 580 bills targeting LGBTQ rights were introduced this year in state legislatures, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, and a disproportionate amount would impact transgender people. According to Monday's report, at least 181 anti-LGBTQ incidents recorded over the last year targeted state and local governments, including state elected officials and city council members, an increase of 57 percent over last year. Incidents targeting students, teachers and libraries rose 10 percent. Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD's president and CEO, said the data reflects speech and policy shifts targeting LGBTQ people in the U.S. 'This year, rollbacks in LGBTQ visibility and challenges to our rights are coupled with a sharp rise in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and disinformation across social media and political campaigns. The result is a divisive cultural climate that comes at a cost,' she said in a statement. 'Awareness, collective action, and urgency can turn the tide,' Ellis said. Monday's report, released on the second day of Pride, found that attacks targeting drag performers sank over the last year, dropping 55 percent from the previous year in the first year-over-year decline since GLAAD launched the ALERT Desk in 2022. The group attributed the decrease to 'the resilience and tenacity of the drag community' and better safety resources for drag performers. Qommittee, a national network of drag artists, released its first 'Drag Defense Handbook' last week to help performers fight against threats of violence and harassment and state laws against drag. Incidents targeting Pride flags and symbols also declined 25 percent from data collected between 2023 and 2024, according to the ALERT Desk.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Right-wing extremists threaten LGBTQ-affirming religious communities: report
More than 150 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents have targeted affirming religious communities across the United States since June 2022, according to new data released Tuesday by GLAAD's ALERT Desk — a stark reflection of how extremists are targeting not only LGBTQ+ people but also the faith-based spaces that welcome them. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. The report documents a wave of violence and harassment against churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples that openly support LGBTQ+ inclusion. The incidents include death threats, vandalism, harassment, attempted arson, physical assaults, and bomb threats. GLAAD first reported in early 2024 that it had tracked more than 60 such incidents. Since then, more than 90 additional attacks have come to light, bringing the total to 151, the organization said. Related: Bishop Budde is unapologetic about confronting Trump over his treatment of LGBTQ+ people and immigrants 'As so many people of faith celebrate their holy days this spring, GLAAD wanted to bring a spotlight to those who are not only leaders in their own faith communities, but who also work to make sure everyone has a seat at the table,' Sarah Moore, GLAAD's senior manager of news and research, told The Advocate. 'In a time of increased divisiveness, it's more important than ever that we build bridges for everyone impacted by hate, including those targeted by anti-LGBTQ hate, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and racism.' Among those targeted is Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, D.C. Budde stepped into the national spotlight in January when she delivered a sermon at the National Prayer Service at Washington National Cathedral, directly addressing President Donald Trump's treatment of LGBTQ+ people and immigrants. Related: These 24 violent extremist & anti-LGBTQ+ advocacy groups pose a danger to LGBTQ+ people 'There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives,' Budde said during the service. 'The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors.' Her sermon, calling for mercy and compassion, came just hours after Trump signed an executive order revoking federal recognition of transgender and nonbinary people. The backlash was swift. Trump publicly demanded an apology. Budde refused. 'I am not going to apologize for asking for mercy for others,' Budde told The Advocate in an interview days later. She said her message was rooted in the lived experiences of the people she serves. 'It wasn't like I was talking about people I don't know.' Budde also revealed that she received death threats and what she described to MSNBC's Rachel Maddow as 'death wishes' in the aftermath of the sermon. Still, she said the response from LGBTQ+ people and allies far outweighed the hate. 'Among my friends in the LGBTQ+ community, there's been a lot of gratitude and acknowledgment of the hard time we're living through,' she told The Advocate. The GLAAD report shows that Budde is far from alone. Related: Watch Bishop Budde tell Rachel Maddow she's received 'death wishes' over Trump 'mercy' sermon In New Jersey, the First Congregational United Church of Christ received death threats in March after the local Moms for Liberty chapter falsely accused the church of supporting 'pedophilia' for flying a Pride flag. One threat said the church should be punished 'with gasoline and a match.' The pastor, Rev. Mark Suriano, addressed the threats in a later sermon. 'It was a weekend of terror, grief, and exhaustion,' he said. 'But the outpouring of support far surpassed the hateful and violent rhetoric against us.' In Connecticut, anti-LGBTQ graffiti was scrawled across the Pride-themed walkway at Immanuel Congregational Church days before its scheduled Pride event. In Michigan, police arrested a man in 2024 for plotting a mass shooting targeting LGBTQ+ people, religious institutions, schools, and hospitals. GLAAD's report comes as anti-LGBTQ rhetoric continues to escalate nationwide, fueled by right-wing political attacks and disinformation campaigns. The organization encourages anyone who experiences or witnesses an anti-LGBTQ incident to report it to its ALERT Desk.
