SafeHome’s third annual LGBTQ+ State Safety Report Cards graded all 50 states and Washington DC, based on how safe they are for the queer people, with a scoring system which relies on legislative analysis and FBI hate-crime data.
Despite years of progress toward inclusion and equality for LGBTQ+ Americans, a sense of safety at home remains elusive for many. By the end of last year, 75 of the 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced across the country in 2023 had become law, and in 2022, hate crimes against LGBTQ+ Americans reached a five-year high. Hate crimes targeting LGBTQ+ people rose 10 percent between 2021 and 2022, and hate crimes against transgender people, in particular, surged 40 percent. 59% of LGBTQ+ people say their state’s laws help them feel safer, but 89% say federal action is needed to enshrine protections fully.
The research awarded Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Delaware A+ grades because they have “comprehensive pro-equality laws and low rates of hate crimes against queer people”.
On the other end of the scale, South Dakota, Florida and Wyoming were graded an F because of the “high number of discriminatory laws and hate-crime reporting rates.”
For the full report click here