I was wondering in a recent post about the anti-LGBT hate crime statistics compiled by the FBI in the United States. In short, they showed a rise in hate crimes against LGBT people while showing a decrease against other minorities. I had wondered if the majority of those anti-LGBT hate crimes — 1,256 in 2011 — targeted transgender people. I think I got my answer, thanks to an article on the Business Insider site.
The majority of those anti-LGBT hate crimes were committed against gay men, according to Business Insider, which points to a “disturbing trend” in the United States. Why are more gays being targeted? Well, Business Insider feels it might have something to do with gay rights progress in that country and a backlash from those opposed.
That makes sense to me. And I think that might explain why we are hearing so much opposition to transgender people these days from fundamentalists and various hate groups. Transgender people are making big gains in some countries, but sadly are paying a price for it. Still, we stand up now for those to come, yes?
As I pointed out in the preceding post here, there are really not a lot of trans people in this world. But I would imagine that on a per-capita basis, the percentage of hate crimes against trans people is higher than it is for gay, lesbian or bisexual people.
I also wonder what those opposed to transgender rights — and to LGBT rights in general — are worried about? Are they afraid transgenderism and transsexualism is contagious, that they or their children will catch a “trans virus”? Or do they simply hate anyone who doesn’t fit in to their primitive religious belief system? I think it is probably a combination of both, and perhaps something else: maybe they, too, have feelings for members of the same sex or have gender identity issues — and feel so much guilt about it because of their primitive fear of a fire-and-brimstone God that they lash out at honest people who have come out and live openly. That is a theory put forth by many, and I imagine it is true for some of the anti-LGBT hate crimes being committed.
Indeed, the backlash against trans and gay people from some of the very vocal fundamentalists might, in fact, be a response to self-denial of either their own gender identity issues or current or past feelings thay have for members of the same sex.
Jillian
