Hate Crime in America
07 February 2015

Everyday in America someone is victimized by another human being. The sad thing about that is that it is a never ending vicious circle. Sure there will be those who will stand up for what is right and standing their ground, but then there are those who will keep quiet, and walk by never mentioning what they see or what happened to them. The word Hate Crime began after WWII and was considered to be a cleansing of some sort. Among the many types of hate crimes there are two that stand out and will be discussed in this essay. The first is Sexual Orientation/ Preference, and the second is Transgender Hate Crimes. Both of these are major problems and can be stopped if everyone just agreed to disagree and opened up their minds. A majority of hate crimes that are committed are white on black and black on white. Between 2003 and 2011 65% of whites were victims, Hispanics rated at 15% and African Americans at 13% . This unfortunate cycle is an everyday struggle for those who are different. Hate crimes are constantly evolving against those who are different from us. Those who have a different sexual preference are always cast out because they are different than the “Average” or the “Normal” person. They are constantly made fun of, ridiculed for their choice in partners, beat up, and even murdered. It is said a person cannot help who they love but there is no scientific proof with concrete evidence supporting these details, it is only said and passed on to others to share with the world. In 2009 a law was passed that assisted hate crimes for sexual orientation. This law is called the Matthew Shepard Act, this act was put in place to help those of any kind of hate crimes. It started when 2 mothers whose sons had been murder. The first was Matthew Shepard who was tortured and murdered by two African American Males for being gay. The second was James Byrd Jr. who was drug behind a truck and then decapitated by two KKK members for being black. This act provides funding to the FBI to investigate crimes local states will not, it also provides a numerous other services to victims of hate crimes as well. Another focus in the Hate Crime section is Transgender Hate Crimes. Transgender hate crimes are those who take on another gender whether it be because they want to or they feel that they are truly the wrong gender and want to be different. There is a clinically diagnosed disorder called Gender Dysmorphia. This is where the person is one sex but feels, acts, and knows deep inside that they are the wrong gender, therefore they change their genders. There are those who do not understand what it is like because they do not feel the hurt and emotions of the person effected. People who are closed minded torment and poke fun at people who are different from them because they know no better. They are ignorant to others feelings. The risks both of these groups takes is the everyday torment of being mocked and ridiculed for the choices they make even if they are the right ones. This can lead to mental strains on the victims being tormented. Along with mental strain comes depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and thoughts or suicide. There are plenty of counselors out there to help ease the pain, however it will not block it out completely and it will not change the mind of others who cannot open their mind and hearts to a different kind of life style. As a victim advocate I would start off by letting my victims know that they are doing the right things. There are many agencies that can help with the counseling of the victim. Not only is there counseling but there are