➤ HATE CRIMES from p.7
hate crime-related incidents last
year that specifi cally targeted individuals,
according to the FBI.
Of the 1,429 victims targeted for
sexual orientation bias, 61.8 percent
were victims of anti-gay bias
against men, 25 percent suffered
from anti-LGBTQ bias more generally,
and 10 percent were victims of
anti-lesbian bias. It is possible that
some of the crimes categorized
as motivated by sexual orientation
bias might in fact have been
based specifi cally on gender identity
bias.
The number of victims who were
targeted on the basis of gender
identity increased from 189 last
year to 227 this year. Meanwhile,
there were 1,429 victims targeted
for their sexual orientation in 2019
compared to 1,445 victims last
year.
Of the bias incidents that were
motivated by homophobia in 2019,
28 percent occurred in or near residences,
22 percent happened on
highways, roads, alleys, streets, or
sidewalks, and 7.3 percent were at
schools or colleges. Gender identitybased
crimes showed a somewhat
similar pattern, with 25.8 percent
of such incidents occurring at a
residence or home and 25.3 happening
on highways, roads, alleys,
streets, or sidewalks.
Geographically, California led
the nation with 1,105 hate crimerelated
incidents, followed by New
York, which saw 611 such incidents.
The State of Washington
registered 542 incidents and Texas
reported 456.
Time will tell whether those
numbers will improve this year,
but some encouraging signs are
emerging out of New York City.
Hate crimes have dipped by 34
percent so far this year in the fi ve
boroughs. There were 26 sexual
orientation-related hate crimes
through November 1 of this year
compared to 44 at the same point
last year — a 41 percent decrease
— though the chart provided by
the NYPD does not specify a category
for gender identity.
Anti-Muslim hate crimes dipped
by 75 percent in the fi ve boroughs,
anti-Semitic hate crimes were reduced
by 49 percent, and hate
crimes targeting Hispanic individuals
decreased by 83 percent.
Thirty-three hate crimes targeted
Black individuals, up from 32 at
the same point last year, and anti-
Asian hate crimes remained the
same.
The nationwide and local numbers
are surfacing during a recordbreaking
year of violence targeting
transgender, gender non-conforming,
and non-binary individuals
across the nation, especially trans
women of color.
At least 37 transgender or nonbinary
individuals have suffered
violent deaths this year across the
nation and many families are still
seeking justice for those victims.
Due to a patchwork system of state
laws, many locations lack nondiscrimination
protections or hate
crimes laws protecting individuals
on the basis of sexual orientation
or gender identity.
➤ ANTI-HIV INJECTIONS, from p.16
ing the shot’s effectiveness among
cisgender men and transgender
women who have sex with men in
a separate study. A trial of nearly
4,600 individuals similarly found
that the shot was 66 percent better
than Truvada at preventing HIV
among cisgender men and trans
women.
The shot is one of multiple alternatives
medical professionals have
considered in response to the daily
requirements of oral HIV prevention
medication. Guidelines published
by health offi cials in New York City
and other areas have established
a “PrEP on Demand” approach in
which men who have sex with men
can take two pills between two and
24 hours before having sex, one
pill within 24 hours after sex, and
another pill 24 hours after that.
Should the individual have sex
again the next day, he should continue
taking PrEP daily until two
days after sexual activity ends.
When that approach was unveiled,
health offi cials limited their
recommendation to cisgender men
who have sex with men because
they had yet to thoroughly examine
PrEP on Demand’s impact on
transgender individuals or cisgender
women.
Bill de Blasio
Mayor
Dave A. Chokshi, MD, MSc
Commissioner
GayCityNews.com | November 26 - December 2, 2020 27
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