Threats and violence against LGBTQ Americans
Sexual orientation and gender identity together drove about 19 percent of hate crime victims in 2025. Agencies reported 1,527 incidents based on sexual orientation and 489 based on gender identity, including 340 anti-transgender incidents.
What you need to know
- 1,527 sexual-orientation incidents were reported to the FBI in 2025, including 800 anti-gay male incidents.
- 489 gender-identity incidents were reported, including 340 anti-transgender.
- Sexual orientation was 14.5 percent and gender identity 4.6 percent of single-bias hate crime victims in 2025.
- Two of the deadliest attacks targeted LGBTQ nightclubs: Pulse in 2016 and Club Q in 2022.
The official count
| Bias type | Category | 2025 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Gay (Male) | Sexual Orientation | 800 | 1,128 | -328 |
| Anti-Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender (Mixed Group) | Sexual Orientation | 565 | 786 | -221 |
| Anti-Lesbian | Sexual Orientation | 118 | 178 | -60 |
| Anti-Bisexual | Sexual Orientation | 27 | 45 | -18 |
| Anti-Transgender | Gender Identity | 340 | 381 | -41 |
| Anti-Gender Non-Conforming | Gender Identity | 149 | 144 | +5 |
Counts are incidents reported by agencies that file with the FBI. A lower number can mean fewer agencies reported, not less hate. See every bias type.
Attacks that define the threat
- June 12, 2016 · Orlando, Fla.
A gunman killed 49 people at Pulse, a gay nightclub, during Latin night.
- Aug. 8, 2019 · Las Vegas, Nev.
Plot stopped. An FBI-led terrorism task force arrested a security guard who had sketched an attack on a Fremont Street bar he believed catered to LGBTQ customers and had discussed firebombing a synagogue. Three years earlier he had patrolled his neighborhood in tactical gear with an AR-style rifle and posted his views on YouTube. He pleaded guilty to possessing bomb components and was sentenced to two years in federal prison.
- Nov. 19, 2022 · Colorado Springs, Colo.
A gunman killed five people at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub, before patrons subdued him. He pleaded guilty to federal hate crimes.
Terms and signals
Analysts and officers see these in posts, comments and channels. Knowing them lets you read a threat for what it is.
- "Groomer" aimed at people or venues
- Used to cast LGBTQ people as child abusers. A warning when tied to a named person, library, school or event.
- "41%"
- A mocking reference to suicide attempt rates among transgender people, used to encourage self-harm or celebrate deaths.
- Pride and drag event targeting
- Posts listing dates and venues of Pride or drag events with calls to "show up" armed or in force.
A term alone is not a threat. Hateful speech is often legal. NCTIC scores escalation: a specific target, a means, a time, and signs of planning or goodbye messages.
From talk to attack
Calendar. June Pride events and Transgender Day of Remembrance in November bring public gatherings at announced places.
Venue lists. Sharing addresses of bars, community centers or event venues with hostile commentary is a top-scored signal.
Doxxing. Publishing an individual's home or workplace is often the step before harassment turns physical.
Report a threat
- Call 911 for anything imminent. Report threats to local police and the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI.
- Event organizers should share dates and venues with local police early and ask for a threat review.
- Send threats you find to NCTIC at pesach@lattin.us or 505-932-9060. We route each one to the agency with jurisdiction.
Frequently asked
How many anti-LGBTQ hate crimes were reported in 2025?
Agencies reported 1,527 incidents based on sexual orientation and 489 based on gender identity to the FBI for 2025. Both were lower than 2024.
How many anti-transgender hate crimes were there in 2025?
Agencies reported 340 anti-transgender incidents and 149 anti-gender non-conforming incidents to the FBI for 2025.
Who studies this
NCTIC's analysis draws on official data and the work of these organizations. Listing them does not mean they endorse NCTIC.
Tracks fatal violence against transgender people.
Tracks anti-LGBTQ incidents nationwide.
How we put this together. Hate crime counts are incidents reported by law enforcement agencies to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program for 2025, released Aug. 14, 2026, as tabulated by the Arab American Institute; 2024 comparisons use the FBI's updated Crime Data Explorer figures. These counts cover only agencies that report and only incidents that reach police, so they understate the problem, and year-to-year changes partly reflect which agencies filed. Attack summaries draw on court records and news reporting cited below. Watch terms come from NCTIC analysis and public research such as the ADL Hate Symbols database. NCTIC products are analysis and can be wrong.
NCTIC is an independent nonprofit, non-governmental organization. It is not a government agency, does not act under government authority, and does not make or enforce laws.
We take no position on immigration or other policy questions and do not blame threats on any group. Our anchor is simple: the law says no violence against people, whoever they are.