A new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law reviews 25 years of research on interactions between LGBTQ people and law enforcement.
Findings show that LGBTQ communities—particularly LGBTQ people of color, youth, and transgender and gender nonconforming individuals—have faced profiling, entrapment, discrimination, harassment, and violence from law enforcement for decades, and this mistreatment continues to be widespread.
“Experiences of police mistreatment may discourage LGBTQ people from reporting crimes or engaging with law enforcement,” said lead author Joshua Arrayales, Law Fellow at the Williams Institute. “Reporting crimes is essential for accurate crime statistics, proper allocation of crime prevention resources, and support services that address the unique needs of LGBTQ survivors.”
The current study uses a variety of sources to examine both the historical and present experiences of LGBTQ individuals who interact with law enforcement and documents specific examples of their experiences.
Government and Private Surveys
- LGBTQ people are more likely than non-LGBTQ people to report being stopped by police, searched by police, arrested, and falsely accused of an offense. LGBTQ people also report substantial rates of verbal harassment, physical harassment, sexual harassment, and assault.
- A 2021 Williams Institute report found that LGBQ people were nearly six times as likely as the general population (6% vs. 1%) to have been stopped by police in a public space.
Incident Reports and Government Investigations
- Annual reports by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs from 2000-2017 document consistent evidence of hate violence against LGBTQ people by police, especially transgender individuals and people of color. They also record instances of mistreatment of survivors reporting their victimization.
- Government investigations of police departments in New York and New Orleans documented discrimination and abuse against LGBTQ communities in those cities.
Qualitative Research
- Participants in research studies have described being stopped for no reason, encountering hostile treatment when police discovered they were transgender after looking at their IDs, and having officers assume they were engaging in sex work or other illegal activities.
- In a 2022 study of Black transgender women from Baltimore and D.C., one participant noted that male officers asked what she did to cause her own abuse. Other participants said interactions improved when an LGBTQ+ liaison or knowledgeable officer was present.
Lawsuits and Anecdotal Data
- Many of these reports detail extreme violence perpetrated by police, with some incidents requiring medical attention. In addition, police officers still engage in tactics such as raids and entrapment, leading to distrust between the LGBTQ community and law enforcement.
- In 2018, a gay resident of Palo Alto sued the Palo Alto Police Department after officers slammed him against a car and into the windshield because they suspected him of driving with a suspended license. A recording of the incident captured an officer mocking him with a “flamboyant, high-pitched tone.”
“Negative interactions with police affect LGBTQ people beyond the immediate incident,” said study author Christy Mallory, Interim Executive Director and Legal Director at the Williams Institute. “Research has found associations between police violence and harassment and binge drinking, stress, depression, and other negative health outcomes.”