Don't Call Me Faggot

STUDY: LGBT Murder Rate At All-Time High, But Hate-Violence On Wane

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) today released a report on hate violence against LGBT, queer and HIV+ people in the United States. Taking 2011 data from 16 anti-violence programs in 16 states, the study found some surprising results:

• In 2011,NCAVP documented 30 anti-LGBTQH murders, the highest yearly total ever recorded by the coalition.  This is an 11% increase from the 27 people murdered in 2010. This high murder rate continues a multi-year trend of increases in anti-LGBTQH murders over the past three years of reporting.

• 87% of the 30 reported hate murder victims in 2011 were LGBTQH people of color.  For a second year in a row, this reflects a disproportionate targeting of people of color for severe and deadly violence and is an increase over 2010 where 70% of the 27 reported hate murder victims were LGBTQH people of color.

• Transgender women made up 40% of the 30 reported hate murders in 2011, while representing only 10% of total hat- violence survivors and victims.  This was comparable to last year’s report where transgender women made up 44% of the 27 reported hate murders, reflecting a two-year trend toward disproportanate and severe violence faced by transgender women.

• Youth and young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 years old were 2.41 times as likely to experience physical violence compared to LGBTQH people age 30 and older.
  
  
• In 2011, NCAVP reported 16% fewer incidents of hate violence. Many members saw a decline in reports of violence linked to a corresponding increase in murders, indicating attacks aren’t declining, merely becoming more vicious.

“Murders of LGBTQ people have increased over the last three years, indicating a pattern of escalating violence against LGBTQ and HIV-affected people,” said the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Community Center’s Jake Finney. “Those most at risk for murder are transgender and gender non-conforming people, people of color, and gay men.”

These are alarming statistics, to be sure. But it might not be all doom and gloom. It’s possible the rising numbers indicate more victims and families feel comfortable reporting hate violence and murders, and that more resources have become available to track such incidents.

The report’s specific policy recommendations include funding more violence-prevention programs and educating police in responding to LGBT victims.

California Becomes First State To Ban Gay Reparative Therapy

nothing-rhymes-with-ianto:

At least we’ve done something right, finally. Jesus.

A gay HIV-positive man says in court that a hospital denied him treatment and visitors, as the doctor remarked, "This is...

ELIZABETH, N.J. (CN) - Joao Simoes sued Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Union County Superior Court. He says that the hospital admitted him in August 2011, but that “requests for his lifesaving medication were not honored,” and his sister was denied visitation rights.

Susan V. Borga, M.D., from the Department of Behavioral Health and Psychiatry, allegedly approached Simoes while he was confined to the hospital’s mental health wing. Borga is not named as a defendant.

Simoes says Borga was unfazed when another patient told her that he had just gotten out of prison, where he served time for murder. But her reaction was allegedly different when Simoes said that he did not work because he planned to go back to school and because of his HIV status.
Borga then allegedly asked Simoes how he got HIV, to which he responded, “I got it from unprotected sex.”

The complaint then says that “Dr. Borga closed the plaintiff’s file, put it down and looked at plaintiff with disgust on her face and asked, coldly, “Is that from sex with men?”

Simoes says he responded affirmatively and that, “immediately after hearing this, Dr. Borga proceeded to exit the room.”

After this consultation, no nurse or doctor came to see Simoes, even though he told them that he needed to take his HIV medication, according to the complaint.

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This is absolutely disgusting behavior on the doctor and hospital staffs part.

Petition against anti-gay bill in Ukraine

I just signed a petition to the Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, asking him to denounce the proposed anti-gay bill that is in Parliament right now. This terrible law makes it a crime for anybody to read, write, blog about, or declare any kind of support for gay rights in Ukraine.

Millions of people around the world saw a photo last week of Svyatoslav, the organizer of Ukraine’s Pride march, who was savagely beaten despite the cancellation of the event. The leader of Ukraine’s opposition party is in jail right now because of the current government. We can create the kind of international exposure that is needed to focus attention squarely on the erosion of human rights conditions in Ukraine. Because when human rights begin to be abused, the first group to be targeted are usually LGBT people.

Please add your name to this letter, asking Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to denounce this absurd anti-gay law and halt the spread of anti-gay sentiment throughout Ukraine.

Please sign and reblog. Spread this message and it’ll only take a second to show some support.