A report finds that LGBTQ+ people are more likely to be stopped by police, detained, and falsely accused of crime than non-LGBTQ+ people. The study comes out of a 25 year-long set of research on law enforcement interactions with the LGBTQ+ community by the Williams Institute, finding that queer people are markedly more likely to face mistreatment at the hands of police. While the Williams Institute has done studies on this topic for decades, the unfortunate reality is that the statistics persist, continuously showing widespread LGBTQ+ discrimination.
The recent study found that over the course of their lives, LGBTQ+ people were more likely to be stopped by police (51% vs. 42%), held in custody (19% vs. 14%), and even arrested (20% vs. 14%). It also found that over the past year, 21% of LGBTQ+ people reported at least one “police-initiated contact.” Bisexual and transgender respondents were shown to be more likely to report police-initiated interactions.
In a statement, lead author and Law Fellow at the Williams Institute Joshua Arrayales says, “Experiences of police mistreatment may discourage LGBTQ people from reporting crimes or engaging with law enforcement.” “Reporting crimes is essential for accurate crime statistics, proper allocation of crime prevention resources, and support services that address the unique needs of LGBTQ survivors,” he adds.
This is reflected in the statistics, as nearly half of trans people (46%) claimed that they would be reluctant to call police if they needed help. Additionally, the study cites 13% of non-trans queer people saying that they did not call the police if they needed help, and 22% claim they wouldn’t contact police again. Much of this mistrust comes from a history of police raids and entrapment that continues to this day, adding to the immense distrust that the LGBTQ+ community harbors for police.
The study author and Interim Executive Director and Legal Director at the Williams institute Christy Mallory says, “Negative interactions with police affect LGBTQ people beyond the immediate incident,” and adds that “Research has found associations between police violence and harassment and binge drinking, stress, depression, and other negative health outcomes.”
