POLICE ABUSE AND MISCONDUCT AGAINST LESBIAN, GAY,
BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PEOPLE IN THE U.S.
– AI interview with Native American transgender
woman, Los Angeles
Sexual, Physical and Verbal Abuse
Reports to AI indicate that sexual, physical and verbal abuse frequently occur together. Sexual and physical abuse by law enforcement against LGBT individuals are often accompanied by homophobic and transphobic slurs. In addition, verbal abuse against individuals perceived to be LGBT is often sexualized, in particular toward lesbians and transgender individuals.- Reports indicate that LGBT individuals who do not conform to traditional gender “norms” in their appearance or presentation are more likely to be singled out for sexual, physical or verbal abuse, and that transgender individuals are disproportionately targeted by law enforcement.
- Incidents reported to AI indicate that homophobia, transphobia and racism often occur together in incidents of police misconduct and abuse against LGBT people of color. AI’s findings further suggest that a significant proportion of reports of sexual, physical and verbal misconduct against LGBT individuals concerned people of color, mirroring general trends of police brutality in the U.S.
- Age and socioeconomic and immigration status also compound the risk of sexual, physical and verbal abuse by law enforcement. AI is further concerned at reports alleging that officers have responded to victims of crime, including hate crimes, with verbal and physical violence.
- Sexual abuse
- AI heard reports of sexual harassment and abuse of LGBT individuals in Chicago,
Los Angeles, New York and San Antonio as well as in other locations including
Montgomery, Alabama; Washington, D.C.; Athens, Georgia; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
and San Francisco, California. Reports included allegations of rape and other
sexual abuse by police officers, including sexual assault, threatened sexual
assault, sexual contact, as well as sexually explicit language and gestures.
AI received reports of police sexually abusing and harassing transgender individuals in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Antonio, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and San Francisco. AI also received reports of lesbians experiencing sexual assault and harassment at the hands of police officers. Furthermore, AI heard reports of sexual abuse of young gay men in Chicago, Illinois.
- Physical Abuse
- AI received reports in Chicago; Los Angeles; New York; San Antonio; San Francisco,
Sacramento and San Diego, California; Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania; Austin, Texas;
Lincoln, Rhode Island; and Connecticut of LGBT individuals being subjected to
physical abuse including being kicked, slammed against walls and beaten with
a baton.
Allegations of police officers physically abusing transgender individuals were reported in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Antonio and New York as well as in Pennsylvania, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. AI heard that transgender women of color and transgender individuals “who may not pass” are targeted for police misconduct, including physical abuse. Reports indicate that lesbians are subjected to violence by law enforcement officers because of their sexuality, particularly in terms of their physical appearance. AI also heard a number of reports of physical abuse of gay men by police officers in San Antonio, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago as well as from other locations, including San Francisco, California; Oakland, California; Lincoln, Rhode Island; and Connecticut.
- Verbal Abuse
- Reports indicate that homophobic and transphobic verbal abuse by police is a
serious problem. AI heard numerous reports of officers being verbally abusive
towards LGBT individuals with officers frequently focusing on perceived sexual
orientation or gender identity or expression of individuals in a derogatory
and demeaning manner. AI heard reports in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and
San Antonio that officers engage in homophobic, transphobic, racist and sexist
verbal abuse when communicating with particular communities, including LGBT
people of color, homeless, youth, sex workers and immigrants.
- AI heard a number of reports of dehumanizing and degrading verbal abuse against transgender individuals. Verbal harassment and abuse reported to AI include deliberately humiliating transgender people by using inappropriate pronouns or an individual’s prior female or male name, and questioning what a person’s “real” gender is. Advocates report that many officers have “no respect” for transgender women, make fun of them and call them “freaks,” ” he/she/it,” or “he/she.”
- AI received several reports of verbal abuse of lesbians, including women who were called "dyke" as an insult during interactions with law enforcement. Verbal harassment of lesbian women and girls is frequently of a sexual nature. For example, police officers make comments suggesting that their sexual orientation needs to be “corrected.” Verbal abuse of lesbians often focuses on perceived gender transgressions, and reports indicate that police single out lesbians who look “masculine” for verbal harassment and abuse.
- AI has heard a number of reports of police officers calling gay men “faggots”. The use of the term “faggot” is reportedly also used as a general derogatory term regardless of whether an officer perceives an individual to be gay. Men who do not conform to traditional gender “norms” are targeted for verbal abuse, including comments such as “sissy” and “princess.”