The US National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) recorded 29 bias-related killings in 2008 - an increase of 28 percent compared to a year ago and the highest number since it began documenting killings of  lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (and people who are perceived to be LGBT) in 1999.

Among the incidents that made the headlines last year include 15-year-old Lawrence King (top, left) who was shot to death by a schoolmate at his California school enduring harassment after he told classmates he was gay. His case was classified as a hate crime.

In November a transgender woman, Duanna Johnson (top, middle) was found fatally shot near downtown Memphis. She made the headlines nationwide after a videotape of her being taunted about her sexuality and beaten by two police officers in the station's booking area was publicised. The two officers lost their jobs over the incident.

In December, 31-year-old Jose Sucuzhanay (top, right) who is heterosexual had a beer bottle broken over the back of his head before he was beaten to death in New York City while he walked arm in arm with his brother. Witnesses reported hearing vulgarisms against Hispanics and gay men. His two attackers were charged with murder as a hate crime.

The same month, a 28-year-old out lesbian in Richmond, CA was attacked outside her home by four men who allegedly kidnapped and drove the survivor seven blocks from the location and later gang raped while having anti-lesbian epithets said to her. The report noted that she lived in the neighborhood with her partner and child, and also has a rainbow sticker on her license plate. The case is being investigated as a hate crime.



According to the 2008 Hate Violence Report released on Tuesday, violence against LGBT people increased 2 percent from 2007 to 2008, continuing the trend of a 24 percent total increase in 2007.

The report noted a 36 percent increase in bias violence from strangers and a 118 percent increase in the 15 to 18 year-old category. Bias violence from strangers climbed 36 percent.

The 95-page 2008 annual Hate Violence Report is written by a coalition of 35 LGBT anti-violence programs in 25 states across the US. It examines data compiled from 2,424 LGBTQ people who experienced hate or violence in regions across the country including Chicago, IL; Colorado; Columbus, OH; Houston, TX; Kansas City, MO; Los Angeles, CA; Michigan; Milwaukee, WI; Minnesota; New York, NY; Pennsylvania; Rochester, NY; and San Francisco, CA.



The NCAVP says although the US Federal Bureau of Investigation publishes its own report on hate crimes, which includes anti-LGB incidents, it “consistently contains information on far fewer cases than the NCAVP publication because it relies solely on law enforcement reports of such crimes rather than victim service organisation data.” The FBI also doesn't record bias crimes against transgender people because gender identity isn't covered by federal hate-crime law.

"What we're also seeing, more disturbingly, is the increase in the severity of violence," Said Sharon Stapel, executive director of the New York City Anti-Violence Project, which coordinates coalition.

"The more visibility there is, the more likely we're going to see backlash, and that's exactly what we see here," Stapel was quoted as saying in an Associated Press report in which she theorised that at least some of last year's violence was backlash against issues that arose during the during the presidential campaign. She cited debates about same-sex marriage, the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, and federal legislation that would ban employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity as possible flash points.

To read the report, click here (in PDF).