How does the FBI define and track hate crimes against the transgender community?
This fact-check may be outdated. Consider refreshing it to get the most current information.
Was this fact-check helpful?
1. Summary of the results
The FBI defines and tracks hate crimes against the transgender community through its Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, which systematically collects data on crimes motivated by bias against various protected characteristics, including gender identity [1] [2]. The FBI follows strict standards for what constitutes a hate crime under their UCR Program guidelines, meaning certain types of hateful incidents may not meet their specific definitions for inclusion in official statistics [3].
According to the most recent data available, hate crimes against the transgender community have shown concerning trends. In 2023, there were 547 incidents related to gender identity, while 2024 saw 463 incidents specifically targeting individuals based on gender identity [1] [4] [2]. These gender identity-based attacks represented 4% of all hate crimes in 2024 [2]. When combined with sexual orientation-based crimes, the broader LGBTQ+ community faced significant targeting, with over 2,400 single-bias hate crime incidents motivated by sexual orientation and gender identity combined [3].
The data reveals that LGBTQ people were the third-most targeted group in FBI hate crime statistics for 2024 [3]. Sexual orientation-based attacks were more numerous than gender identity-based ones, with 1,950 recorded incidents relating to sexual orientation in 2024, compared to the 463 gender identity incidents [2]. The trend analysis shows that hate crimes motivated by gender identity and sexual orientation rose from 2022 to 2023, indicating an escalating pattern of violence against these communities [1].
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
Several critical pieces of context are absent from a straightforward answer about FBI tracking methods. First, there are significant limitations in the FBI's data collection system. The UCR Program's strict definitional requirements mean that many incidents of anti-transgender violence may not be captured in official statistics if they don't meet specific legal criteria for hate crimes [3]. This suggests the actual scope of anti-transgender violence may be substantially underreported in FBI data.
The National Crime Victimization Survey provides additional perspective on LGBTQ+ victimization that complements FBI hate crime data, showing that LGBT people are five times more likely than non-LGBT people to be victims of violent crime [5]. This broader victimization data suggests that official hate crime statistics may only capture a fraction of the violence experienced by transgender individuals.
GLAAD's ALERT Desk findings provide an alternative tracking mechanism that appears to document incidents beyond what the FBI captures, suggesting there are multiple organizations monitoring anti-transgender violence using different methodologies and criteria [4]. This indicates that relying solely on FBI data may provide an incomplete picture of the scope of anti-transgender violence.
A particularly concerning development is the reported discussion within the FBI about treating transgender subjects as a subset of a new threat category called 'Nihilistic Violent Extremists' (NVEs). While this has not been officially confirmed by the FBI, such a categorization could fundamentally alter how hate crimes against the transgender community are tracked and understood [6]. This potential shift raises questions about whether transgender individuals might be viewed through a security threat lens rather than as victims of bias-motivated crimes.
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
The original question itself does not contain misinformation, as it simply asks for factual information about FBI procedures. However, the framing implicitly assumes that the FBI's tracking methods provide a complete and accurate picture of anti-transgender violence, which the evidence suggests may not be the case.
The most significant potential for bias lies in over-relying on FBI statistics as the definitive measure of anti-transgender hate crimes. The strict UCR Program criteria mean that many incidents of bias-motivated violence against transgender individuals may not qualify for inclusion in official hate crime statistics [3]. This could lead to a systematic undercount that minimizes the true scope of anti-transgender violence.
Additionally, the potential reclassification of transgender individuals as security threats rather than crime victims represents a fundamental shift in perspective that could introduce significant bias into how anti-transgender incidents are categorized and understood by law enforcement [6]. This development, if confirmed, would represent a concerning departure from treating anti-transgender violence primarily as bias-motivated crime requiring victim protection and community support.