NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — The New York LGBT Network introduced a new hotline during a press conference on Tuesday to address unreported incidents targeting the community, following an alarming surge in anti-LGBTQ hate crimes.
The conference was held at the LGBT Network Headquarters in Hauppauge, Suffolk County, where David Kilmnick, President of the New York LGBT Network, announced the hotline, 888-LGBT-HLP, set to launch on Wednesday, on the same day as National Coming Out Day.
Anti-LGBT hate crime incidents have increased by nearly 7% since 2019, totaling 1,110 reported incidents, according to FBI data from 2021.
The data revealed that 61% was related to anti-gay (male) bias. Additionally, mixed-group incidents (involving lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender individuals) made up 21% of the cases, anti-lesbian bias accounted for 11%, and 6% were classified as anti-transgender incidents.
Kilmnick discussed reasons why many individuals might choose to remain silent after experiencing hate crimes. "Some people might not be aware of what constitutes a hate crime, how to report it, or what support is available to them," he said.
Another factor he pointed out was a lack of trust in the police, which could also prevent some from reporting. "They may think that hate crimes are inevitable and that reporting them would not make a difference," Kilmnick explained.
Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison also attended the event and emphasized the importance of encouraging victims to come forward. "It’s important that we ask people to come forward," he said.
The hotline can be reached by people on Long Island and New York City.
Both groups are hopeful that the 888-LGBT-HLP hotline will facilitate the reporting of hate crimes.