Effects of Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation on the Experience of Hate Crimes in Chicago

1. Effects of Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation on the Experience of Hate Crimes in Chicago Megan Conrad, M.A. Kyle Jones, M.A. Alicia Matthews, Ph.D. Paul Schewe, Ph.D.

2. Overview • Background • Purpose of this research • Research design • Results • Discussion • Implications for policy

3. Background • Hate crime: motivated by racial, sexual, or other prejudice • 73% of hate crimes involve violence, compared with 23% of all other crimes • Racial bias is the most frequently reported hate crime motivation Chicago Police Department, 2008

4. Background • When race is relevant, almost immediate and uniform characterization as a hate crime • Ricky Birdsong and James Byrd, Jr. • Crimes against LGBT individuals do not always get classified as hate crimes • Massive underreporting of hate crimes against LGBT individuals to law enforcement, but not community-based organizations

5. Background • Hate crimes against transgendered individuals typically grouped with those against LGB people • Different for several reasons: • Characterized by increased severity and sexual assault • Judicial and services system is gender binary • Crime committed against biological male not generally considered a hate crime • Gender-based services limit help transgender victims can receive Gordon & Meyer, 2007; Stotzer, 2009; Taylor, 2007

6. Background • Transwomen have been the target of escalating rates of violence • Being an ethnic minority confers additional vulnerability to violence • Almost complete “motivational silence” when victim is transgendered person of color • Lateisha Green, Ty’lia Mack, and Sidney Wright • Was it the victim’s gender presentation or race that inspired the violence? Meyer (2010)

7. Purpose of this Research • Aim #1: Develop a more complete picture of hate crimes against the LGBT community in Chicago • Aim #2: Illustrate the specific violence that transgendered individuals face • Aim #3: Report to the Chicago Commission on Human Relations to shape policy decisions as they affect LGBT people and LGBT people of color

8. Research Design • Retrospective cross-sectional and descriptive design • Data sources: Anti-Violence Project at the Center of Halsted (COH) and the Chicago Police Department (CPD) • Supporting organization: Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR)

9. Anti-Violence Project at the COH • Provides crisis support and ongoing services for LGBTQ, queer, questioning, and HIV-affected survivors of abuse and violence • Has specific counseling, incident reporting assistance, and court accompaniment services • Collects standardized information from victim’s report of violence as part of National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs

10. Chicago Police Department • Collects and aggregates information on all reported crimes • Has become increasingly interested in collecting sexual identity information from both perpetrators and victims of crimes

11. Chicago Commission on Human Relations • Enforces the Chicago Human Rights and Chicago Fair Housing Ordinances • Investigates claims of discrimination • Provides aid to hate crime victims • Employs education and mediation programs to decrease violence and bigotry in partnership with communities

12. Results – COH 2010

13. Results – COH 2010

14. Results – COH 2010

15. Results – COH 2010

16. Results – COH 2010

17. Results – COH 2010

18. Results – COH 2010 Summary • Heterosexist/anti-LGBTQ bias was most common motive for hate crime • Assault (no weapon), verbal harassment, intimidation, and sexual assault were most common types of crime • Domestic violence was most prevalent crime overall • Caller was usually the victim or a service provider, when known • Most often not reported to police or reported with no arrest

19. Results – CPD 2010-2012

20. Results – CPD 2010-2012

21. Results – CPD 2010-2012

22. Results – CPD 2010-2012 Summary • Crime most often motivated by racial or sexual orientation bias • Simple assault or criminal defacement were most common • Victims were most often aged 19-30, Black or Caucasian, and male • Case status is undetermined for most complaints

23. Discussion • Aim #1: Develop a more complete picture of hate crimes against the LGBT community in Chicago • COH • Assault (no weapon), verbal harassment, intimidation, and sexual assault • Domestic violence • CPD • Simple assault and defacement • Ages 19-30, Black or Caucasian, and male • Percentage attributed to sexual orientation slightly higher than national average (33.1% vs. 20.8%)

24. Discussion • Aim #2: Illustrate the specific violence that transgendered individuals face • COH: No victim demographics • CPD: Biological sex, but not gender identity, available in the current data • Cannot make any conclusions regarding violence specific to transgendered individuals

25. Discussion • Aim #3: Report to the Chicago Commission on Human Relations to shape policy decisions as they affect LGBT people and LGBT people of color • Immediately organized quarterly meetings to discuss hate crimes from these different perspectives • COH, CPD, CCHR, Anti-Defamation League, UIC • Will continue as policy changes are made

26. Discussion • Working relationships and access to data were crucial • COH • Already de-identified, allowing for quick access • Part of a standardized national data collection effort • Most often reported by service providers, with hate crime designation made by caller • CPD • Sensitive nature of data required more time to gain access • Information obtained from actual case reports • Hate crime designation based on legal definition

27. Implications for Policy • Conduct a community forum with major stakeholders to talk about hate crimes, resources, and reporting • Necessary to increase education about what a hate crime is and why victims should report them • Publish information about this experience as well as the data (Windy City Times, peer-reviewed journal)

28. Implications for Policy • Within LGBT community, domestic violence is an increasing concern • Community awareness, outreach, and prevention/treatment services are needed • Even more difficult to access for transwomen, who are often barred from women’s shelters

29. Thank you for your time and support! Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy COH: Lisa Gilmore, Director of Education and Victim Advocacy CPD: Timothy Lavery, Chief Operations Research Analyst; Sgt. Lori Cooper, Commanding Officer, Special Activities Section CCHR: Mona Noriega, Commissioner

30. References Chicago Police Department. (2008). Hate crimes in Chicago: 2008 Annual Report. Chicago, IL. Gordon, A., & Meyer, I.H. (2007). Gender nonconformity as a target of prejudice, discrimination, and violence against LGB individuals. Journal of LGBT Health Research, 3(3), 55-71. Meyer, D. (2010). Evaluating the severity of hate-motivated violence: Intersectional differences among LGBT hate crime victims. Sociology, 44(5), 980-995. Stotzer, R.L. (2009). Violence against transgender people: A review of the United States data. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 14, 170-179. Taylor, J.K. (2007). Transgender identities and public policy in the United States: The relevance for public administration. Administration & Society, 39(7), 833-856.