What is the bare necessity that we all need? After stripping away all the flash and glitz of money, brand clothing, and interpersonal connection we all crave, what’s left? The answer is quite simple: we all need a place where we are safe.
Nowhere Is Safe
Without a home to protect us, we are exposed to the element, at the complete mercy of our ruthless and unfeeling environments. And while some may say this threat is primitive, many in modern times know this to be a harsh reality.
At a Loss
Homelessness and fearing persecution is principally found in marginalized demographics. One demographic stands out the most: those in the trans and nonbinary community. In fact, recent evidence suggests trans women are four times more likely to be victims of violent crimes.
Hate on the Rise
Across the US, many genderqueer folks face a large degree of targeted attacks. In recent years, a correlation has emerged: Increase of anti-trans legislation trends with an increased number of hate crimes against trans people.
Finding Home
Safety is clearly the ultimate goal of every individual. And as society pushes to a more outward lens, many details start to lose focus. But violence against those for simply being themselves is not a detail we should lose sight of.
Texas Unsafe
One state that stands as the precise example of violence against the oppressed is Texas. In recent years, reports from the Lone Star state have accounted for increasing targeted hate crimes, specifically against members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Learning About the Facts
Many of the incident reports stem from within the Texas education system, ranging within the K-12 age demographic. Some analysts have even noted a spike by up to four times as much, based off of data collected by the FBI.
No Time, Just Hate Crime
This data suggests that schools do little in order to mitigate attacks against queer students, liking being borne of political consequences. Texas has yet to enact any form of legislation that protects gay rights within school systems.
What This Looks Like
Some forms of queer negligence within the Texas public education system include denying discussions of queer politics or history, barring trans students from participating in sports, and restricting access to bathrooms on the basis of assigned sex at birth.
Mothers Worry
This quadrupling of insidiously motivated actions can be attributed to what is occurring in the state Senate. And while politicians involved continue to fiercely debate the rights of LGBTQ+ youth, parents are growing concerned for the wellbeing of their children.
Annual Upping
The FBI is not the only one collecting data about hate crimes. Involvement of the Texas Department of Public Safety that these crimes have grown by 6.4 percent in over the course of a year.
High Jump
This is the largest jump in hate crimes ever documented in the state of Texas. However, this statistic seems to fall on deaf ears. Many supporters of anti-queer bills state that kids are too young to be learning about these topics.
Perpetuating Problems
Claims like this only cause more harm. While it might cushion those with more traditional values, queer students are only taught to feel shame, embarrassingly sweeping their curiosity under the rug.
Quiet in the Classroom
If shame provokes silence, then queer young Texans will be well-versed in not making a sound. Additional stigma is generated from Senate Bill 17, which demands a full shutdown of any school-affiliated office centering around themes of diversity and inclusion.
Office Closed
The bill also bans any form of training around working with diverse groups of people. Some members of the public worry that this limits the visibility of those who came from different backgrounds, making encounters with them much more volatile.
Here and Queer
Looking deeper, this appears to be a disservice to education. Queer people exist, whether Texas condemns it or not. And most experts believe that learning about these groups fosters a lifelong skill in working with others in a respectful manner.
Fear Creeping In
Activists and educators alike are scared. Their fear is of a future where political and social attitudes create an inhospitable environment for LGBTQ+ individuals. Many claim that while it may start with youth, what is to keep the Senate from going after the rights of queer adults?
Middle Ground or No Ground
So where do state politics go from here? The sensible approach is to reverse decisions and learn how to handle difficult conversations. It might be trying and tense, but finding a middle ground seems certainly more viable than removing the ground altogether.
The post Texas Anti-LGBTQ Hate Crime Rates Soar Above the Rest first appeared on Pulse of Pride.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Mehaniq.
