A new report from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation or gender identity account for nearly a quarter (23%) of all reported hate crimes in California since 2001, the first year statewide hate crime data became publicly available.
In 2013, the California Department of Justice began tracking “anti-gender nonconforming” bias alongside “anti-transgender” bias in hate crime reporting. Since then, law enforcement has recorded 522 gender identity hate crime incidents involving at least 582 victims across both categories. Reported incidents more than tripled over this period, from 25 in 2013 to 84 in 2024.
The vast majority (93%) of gender identity hate crime events since 2013 reported personal violence against the victim as the underlying crime, compared to 70% for hate crimes based on race or ethnicity and 35% of religiously motivated crimes.
Over two-thirds of the violent gender identity hate crimes reported either aggravated assault (35%) or simple assault (35%), and 44% involved victims being punched, hit, kicked, or bitten. In more than half (53%) of incidents, evidence of bias was determined by verbal slurs.
“Transgender and gender nonconforming individuals experience higher rates of violence and victimization than cisgender people,” said lead author Jordan Grasso, Research Data Analyst at the Williams Institute. “Reports of hate crimes motivated by gender identity bias have increased substantially over time in California, with violent victimization showing a particularly sharp rise beginning in 2020.”
The study draws on publicly available administrative data reported by California law enforcement agencies to the California Department of Justice. Researchers examined trends in reported hate crimes in the state, with a particular focus on gender identity hate crimes.
Nearly half (47%) of gender identity hate crimes occurred in public spaces such as roads or parking lots, while 18% took place in private residences. The remaining incidents occurred in locations including schools, parks, public transportation, and bars or nightclubs.
Both victims and individuals accused of gender identity hate crimes were more likely to be under age 18 than other bias types. Eleven percent of those accused of gender identity hate crimes were under age 18, compared to 7% of those accused of hate crimes motivated by race, ethnicity, or religion.
“Transgender and gender nonconforming people experience high rates of discrimination, harassment, and bias in interactions with law enforcement, which can discourage victims from reporting hate crimes,” said study author Ilan Meyer, Distinguished Senior Scholar at the Williams Institute. “Because this study can capture only hate crimes that are reported to and validated by law enforcement, the true scope and nature of violence against these populations is likely substantially underrepresented.”
A companion study published today provides an overview of California state and federal laws addressing hate crimes based on gender identity.
These reports are part of a series on crimes and violence based on gender identity and expression. A previous report used the 2022 US Transgender Survey to examine the prevalence and types of victimization experienced by transgender people in California.