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. The number of hate crimes on K-12 campuses has more than quadrupled in states with restrictive laws..
Calls to LGBTQ+ youth crisis hotlines have exploded at the same time, with some advocates drawing a connection between the spike in bullying and hate crimes and the political climate, the Post reports.
LGBTQ+ students are feeling particularly vulnerable due to the wave of legislation. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has encouraged schools to require that students use facilities matching their biological sex and has signed a law requiring schools to alert parents of “sexually explicit” lessons. Other GOP governors have advanced similar policies through executive action and legislation. The number of anti-LGBTQ+ school hate crimes serious enough to be reported to local police more than doubled nationwide between 2015-2019 and 2021-2022. The rise is steeper in the 28 states that have passed laws curbing the rights of transgender students at school and restricting how teachers can talk about issues of gender and sexuality.