Gendered Hate: Where Do We Go From Here?

• In Event: Roundtable: Examining the Place of Gender Within Hate Crime Law: An International Discussion

Abstract

Approximately five years ago, Gendered Hate (2011) was published with the hope of bringing more clarity to the gender category of hate crime law and more attention to these types of crimes within the United States. The gender category gained momentum over the past few years in the United States as demonstrated through its inclusion within national data collection efforts; specifically, in 2013, the Federal Bureau of Investigation began incorporating statistics of gender-biased hate crimes within its annual hate crime report. In 2013, there were 18 gender-bias incidents recorded (13 anti-female, 5 anti-male) in the annual report, and in 2014, there were 33 gender-bias incidents recorded (23 anti-female, 10 anti-male). The inclusion of this data within the only national-level hate crime report is a necessary step in recognizing the role of the gender category within the hate crime framework. Despite this momentum, many questions surrounding the gender category remain unanswered; for example, what types of offenses should be considered gender-biased crimes, or in practice, how is this category distinguished from the category of gender identity? This discussion will serve to highlight some of these questions with the goal of maintaining the relevancy of the category within the hate crime framework.

Author

• Jessica Hodge, University of St. Thomas