POLICE ABUSE AND MISCONDUCT AGAINST LESBIAN, GAY,
BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PEOPLE IN THE U.S.

Stonewalled is the result of a national study documenting issues and patterns of police abuse and misconduct against LGBT people as well as individual incidents. The report also highlights four cities – Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Antonio, where the impact of policing policies and practices on LGBT communities are studied in greater depth.

Key findings of the Report

Profiling and Selective Enforcement

AI's research has revealed that law enforcement officers profile LGBT individuals, in particular gender variant individuals and LGBT individuals of color, as criminal in a number of different contexts, and selectively enforce laws relating to “morals regulations,” bars and social gatherings, demonstrations and “quality of life.” AI’s findings indicate that race continues to be a motivating factor in presumptions of criminality, and that racism compounds the homophobic and transphobic treatment of LGBT people of color by police. The targeting of LGBT people of color by law enforcement mirrors the systemic racism found in policing in the USA in general, and is consistent with previous AI documentation. Read more. »

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. Read more. »

Searches and Detention

AI has received reports of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of LGBT individuals during arrest, searches and detention in police precinct holding cells. Read more. »

Police Response to Crimes Against LGBT Individuals: Fear of Reporting; Police Failure to Respond and Inappropriate Police Response

AI is concerned that U.S. authorities are failing to act with due diligence to prevent and investigate crimes against LGBT people. Reports to AI indicate a pattern of police failing to respond or responding inappropriately to “hate crimes,” domestic violence and other crimes against LGBT individuals, particularly crimes against LGBT individuals of color, immigrants and other marginalized individuals. Read more. »

Training and Accountability

69 percent (20 out of 29) police departments responding to AI’s survey reported that they provide training on issues relating to LGBT individuals or communities. 28 percent (eight out of 29) of police departments responding to AI’s survey reported that they do not have any training on LGBT issues. In the four cities studied in greater detail, police departments reported providing the following LGBT-specific training. Read more. »

Identity-based Discrimination

The report’s findings strongly indicate that police abuse and the forms it takes often are specific to different aspects of the victim’s identity, such as sexual orientation, race, gender, or gender identity, age or economic status. Stonewalled highlights the treatment of LGBT individuals in the hands of police within the larger framework of identity-based discrimination, and demonstrates how the interplay between different forms of discrimination — racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia — make certain populations within the LGBT community more likely to be targeted for abuse. Read more. »