COLORADO, USA — Data from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation shows Colorado may be becoming more hostile for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The number of LGBTQ+ victims of hate crimes has grown 475%, from 16 in 2017 to 92 in 2021.
A gunman killed five people, shot 17 others, and led to the injuries of five more people at Club Q on Nov. 19. The nightclub is known as a safe haven for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in Colorado Springs.
One in four hate crime victims in Colorado in 2021 were victimized for their LGBTQ+ identity.
"We know that the issue is bigger in Colorado than I think previous data pointed out," Jeremy Shaver, the Senior Associate Regional Director for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Mountain States Region, said. "LGBTQ+ community leaders have been ringing the alarm bell saying that the increase in hateful rhetoric and targeting of the LGBTQ community is putting those communities in danger."
Shaver told 9NEWS the ADL partnered with Hate Free Colorado to survey thousands. The survey found 4 in 10 LGBTQ+ Coloradans reported being victims of a hate crime or hate-based experience in the last five years.
"There is a general climate of extremist rhetoric around LGBTQ people, including here in Colorado, and that most certainly plays into the dehumanization, the violence, the rhetoric that we see. This stuff does not happen in a vacuum," Shaver said.
Graphic created by Zack Newman.
For Mardi Moore, the executive director of Out Boulder County, an LGBTQ+ nonprofit organization, the news was not surprising.
"What's another word for hell?" she asked as she put her head down. "With the terrible increase in hate crimes and incidents directed at the LGBTQ community, as a leader of an organization that supports people in a variety of ways, the increase is frightening and there appears to be no end to it."
There could be more hate crimes happening against members of Colorado's LGBTQ+ community, or we could just know about more of them. Police departments and other organizations may have put resources in place to make reporting easier.
Although, we know even those numbers are an undercount because of responses to Hate Free Colorado surveys.
According to a survey conducted by Simon Analytics on behalf of Hate Free Colorado, only 1 in 10 people who experienced a hate crime due to their sexual orientation reported the crime to the police.
Experts do not point to one sole reason why the reported hate crimes have increased, but some believe it has to do with the current political climate.
"The political rhetoric that is happening right now involves LGBTQ and trans people in particular. It’s harmful to society, it’s harmful to individuals and it’s harmful to communities," Moore said. "It leads to poor mental health and suicide and it can lead to murder and violence as it was just experienced in Colorado Springs."
Members of the LGBTQ+ community also disproportionately experience hate crimes in Colorado, according to the survey.
According to CBI data, the most common reason someone is targeted for a hate crime is due to their race, ethnicity or ancestry bias. In 2021, 62% of hate crime victims were in that category.
Reach investigative reporter Zack Newman through his phone at 303-548-9044. You can also call or text securely on Signal through that same number. Email: zack.newman@9news.com. Call or text is preferred over email.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Investigations & Crime