California sees drop in Asian hate crimes, surge in LGBTQ+ bias incidents

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On Friday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta released the 2023 Hate Crime in California Report, noting a 7.1% decrease in overall reported hate crime events from 2,120 in 2022 to 1,970 in 2023. Despite a 10.71% decrease in anti-Asian bias events, hate crimes against LGBTQ+, Jewish and Muslim communities increased. Anti-LGBTQ+ bias events notably rose by 86.4%, while hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation bias increased by 4.1%, from 391 incidents in 2022 to 405 in 2023.

• Bonta’s call to action: Bonta emphasized the need for continued efforts to combat hate, urging local partners and law enforcement to utilize available resources, which include an updated law enforcement bulletin summarizing relevant civil and criminal hate crime laws, guidance for prosecutors to enforcement and multilingual materials to aid in identifying and responding to hate crime incidents. His initiatives also involve launching the Racial Justice Bureau, engaging city leaders and appointing a hate crimes coordinator to strengthen enforcement efforts statewide.

• “An attack against one of us is an attack against all of us — there is no place for hate in California,” Bonta said. “Everyone has a part to play as we continue to fight prejudice and create safer communities in California. I urge everyone to review the data and resources available and recommit to standing united against hate.”

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