California vs Hate Launches Pride Tour to Help Ensure All Californians Know There Is Support When You Report
As part of an ongoing statewide outreach campaign, California vs Hate today announced the launch of a LGBTQ+ Pride Month tour to help ensure all Californians know that there is support available when you report hate. Pride events serve as powerful platforms for promoting inclusivity, celebrating diversity, and advocating for equality across all of California’s diverse communities. During Pride Month, CA vs Hate is showing up and showing out at LGBTQ+ events across nearly half a dozen different cities to offer support and resources in the fight against hate.
“In California, we don’t just tolerate our differences, we celebrate them,” said California Civil Rights Department Director Kevin Kish. “During Pride Month, we’re excited to march with and support communities up and down our state in the fight against hate. No matter who you love or who you are, we all deserve a chance to live our lives with joy. Through CA vs Hate and the Civil Rights Department, we want all our state’s residents to know that we’re a resource against hate and discrimination.”
“Ensuring that LGBTQ+ Californians have the necessary resources and awareness on how to report hate safely is critical,” said Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang. “Devastatingly, the LGBTQ+ community continues to see an increase in hate taking place across the state. We are thankful for Governor Newsom’s leadership in ensuring that all acts of hate can be reported through CA vs Hate, regardless of whether it is a crime. We’re proud to work alongside CA vs Hate and the California Civil Rights Department to help make sure all members of the LGBTQ+ community can get the support they need when they report.”
Officially launched a year ago this month by Governor Newsom, CA vs Hate is the state’s first-ever multilingual statewide hotline and online portal that provides a safe, anonymous reporting option for victims and witnesses of hate acts. The hotline, which is administered by the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), is in direct response to an alarming increase in reported hate crimes, which, in recent years, have risen to their highest levels since the aftermath of 9/11 in 2001. No community is immune to hate and hate crimes targeting people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity have also increased in recent years. According to the California Department of Justice, reported hate crimes targeting people based on their sexual orientation increased 29% from 2021 to 2022, with anti-transgender hate crimes rising from 38 reported events to 59 over the same period.
However, many hate crimes have historically gone unreported due to a variety of factors, including fear of retaliation, lack of culturally competent resources, concern around potential immigration consequences, and distrust of law enforcement. CA vs Hate aims to help address some of these issues by offering people targeted for hate — and their communities — additional resources to report acts of hate through a community-centered approach that does not require engagement with the criminal legal system. CA vs Hate accepts all reports of hate and is not limited to only receiving reports that are criminal in nature. Whether individuals report to CA vs Hate online or by phone, they are eligible to receive ongoing care coordination to access resources and support, including legal, financial, mental health, and mediation services. In the first full year of operation, initial data submitted to CRD shows approximately 1,020 acts of hate reported to the hotline, including a significant percentage targeting people based on their gender identity and sexual orientation.
As part of the Pride tour, CA vs Hate will be offering resources in five different cities during Pride Month and unveiling a float in select locations featuring artwork celebrating equality, unity, and allyship in the fight against hate. Pride is also an opportunity to celebrate the beautiful and powerful diversity within LGBTQ+ communities with respect to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and disability. CA vs Hate encourages community partners, local leaders, and all members of the public to join us for Pride Month events at the following dates and locations:
The Pride tour builds on ongoing outreach efforts and a digital Pride Collection aimed at supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
