Anti-LGBTQ+ hate is driven by extremist groups and targets drag shows, study finds

The Anti-Defamation League and GLAAD documented 356 anti-LGBTQ+ nationwide incidents motivated by hate between June 2022 and April 2023, with over one-third of them targeting drag shows and performers, according to a new study released Thursday.

The first-of-its-kind study offers new numbers amid a familiar backdrop in American culture and politics, as the nation confronts a yearslong wave of biased-driven hate, while falling short of assessing its full toll.

Nearly half of all recorded incidents — 49% — were carried out by those individuals associated with extremist groups. The first-of-its-kind tally accounts primarily for incidents of harassment, but the count also includes 40 incidents of vandalism and 11 incidents of assault.