@people outside the LGBT+ community

In regards to my previous post about the general public being unsafe for LGBT+ folk, here’s some receipts that I cross-referenced with different sites to affirm credibility.

And here’s something important to consider: YOU contribute to this even if you’re not stabbing and shooting LGBT+ people. YOU contribute to this every time you ignore someone’s preferred name and pronouns, every time you complain about how LGBT+ people are so overly sensitive and need to “not make everything about their sexual orientation”, every time you roll your eyes about pride parades or protests for more LGBT+ rights. YOUR complacency contributes to all of the fatalities and hate crimes detailed below. YOUR complacency allows this violence to continue. YOUR complacency makes the world an unsafe space for LGBT+ people to simply exist.

This article is the basis, describing a lot of the history and current events of LGBT+ hate crimes. If you only read one of these resources, let it be this one.
https://www.nytimes.com/…/…/us/hate-crimes-against-lgbt.html

And here is the FBI’s hate crime statistics for 2015. Hate crimes against LGBT+ folk comprise about 20% of all hate crimes from 2015. I checked 2014 out of curiosity, and it was about the same, give or take a percent.
https://www.fbi.gov/…/s…/2015-hate-crime-statistics-released

This is a detailed breakdown of the Orlando shooting that occurred last June- the largest mass shooting in American history that took the lives of over 50 people.
https://www.nytimes.com/…/what-happened-at-the-orlando-nigh…

It’s quite lengthy, but this document details several case studies and narratives of transgender people who were murdered in acts of hate in recent years. The information presented includes up to 2015 accounts.
http://hrc-assets.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/…/HRC-…

And, finally, as a little visual tidbit, this source is a map illustrating which states have laws against hate crimes, which states have laws against hate crimes that include sexual orientation, and states that have laws against hate crimes that include sexual orientation AND gender identity.
http://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/hate_crime_laws

I’m watching an amazing movie about a lesbian woman coming out to her family when she wants to marry her girlfriend of five years. It shows that homophobia doesn’t always manifest in blatant way. The mother is shocked and makes it about her and she feels, while the dad is surprised, but quickly absorbs this and accepts what makes her happy. These are refreshing takes on what often happens with parents. It’s not always belligerent homophobia. It’s “Jenny’s Wedding”, and it’s on Netflix!

Sometimes I forget how terribly and violently queerphobic the general public is, but then I just look at any given YouTube comment and am quite bluntly reminded.

I will respect your opinion until your opinion threatens my existence or the existence of people around me.