I recently watched a video of a college lecture. The students were listening intently to the professor and in mid-sentence the professor stopped and singled out one female student. He spoke directly to her and told her to get up and leave his classroom and never return. After some protest, she gathered her books and left the classroom. The professor continued with his lecture as if nothing happened. 

A little while later he asked the students if they thought what happened to the expelled student was unfair. Several students spoke up and said what he did was unfair and unprovoked. He then asked why they chose to stay silent in the presence of injustice and the room went quiet. The professor then answered his own question. He explained that when in the presence of injustice we often choose not to speak up because we rationalize that it has nothing to do with us, it is not our business. He went on to explain that any injustice in our presence is our business. We must speak up because any one of us could be the next target.

How do we stand up and speak out for those around us? As we celebrate Pride Month I started looking into the injustices poured onto this community, and it would appear we are not saying enough.

As I delve into the statistics surrounding violence against the LGBTQ+ community, I can't help but feel a deep sense of sadness and outrage. It pains me to see that in a world that prides itself on progress and equality, countless individuals still face discrimination, prejudice, and violence simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. When I think about hate crimes committed against LGBTQ+ individuals, I am filled with a mixture of anger and disbelief. These acts of violence are not mere numbers; they represent deeply affected human lives:

·       In 2019, the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program reported a staggering 4,927 hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation or gender identity bias in the United States alone. Each of these incidents reflects the physical and emotional pain endured by LGBTQ+ individuals.
 
·       The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) reported a 20% increase in hate violence-related homicides targeting LGBTQ+ individuals in 2020. The fact that these numbers continue to rise is a stark reminder of the work that still needs to be done.
 
·       Transgender individuals, especially transgender women of color, face a disproportionately higher risk of fatal violence. In 2020, at least 44 transgender and gender-nonconforming people were murdered, making it the deadliest year on record in the United States. Each life lost represents a devastating loss for their communities and loved ones.

So many beautiful souls are harassed, beaten, and killed simply because of how they identify. If we truly value life, then silence is not an option. We must speak up and speak out against ANY community member targeted by violence. If not, we are just like the students in that lecture hall who choose to look down and not speak out because it didn’t personally involve them. Let’s work to show up and speak out and continue working to make our campuses a safe place for all.

Learn more about the present-day realities of bullying, harassment, discrimination, and stigmatization at these sites:

GLSEN's National School Climate Survey
The Trevor Project
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) Reports
ILGA World