In March, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced that they were eliminating questions surrounding gender identity from hate crime data collection. Local Colorado district attorney offices and LGBTQ advocacy groups said the move endangers queer Americans.
“We are united in our goal to ensure that everyone’s safety and freedoms are protected,” Rocky Mountain Equality (RMEQ) said in a joint statement with the District Attorney’s Office for the 20th Judicial District in Boulder. “Furthermore, we are committed to the ideal of building a world where all people, regardless of who they are or how they identify, live free from violence, harassment, and fear.”
The change in data collection comes at a time when violence against people based on gender identity has reached a fevered pitch. A recent survey of hate crimes in Colorado found that around 1.25 million Coloradans have experienced a bias-motivated crime within the past five years. Of this group, a quarter of these incidents were related to the victim’s gender identity. Additionally, the survey found that as many as half of transgender and gender non-conforming Coloradans have experienced a hate crime.
Data put out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 2024 shows that hate crimes against the LGBTQ community have steadily increased since 2020. Advocacy groups like PFLAG National and GLAAD say that the rise of anti-LGBTQ legislation and rhetoric is tied to this increase in anti-queer violence.
“It is essential that lawmakers and law enforcement have access to all available resources to understand the size, scope, and nature of the spread of anti-LGBTQ+ violence. Instead, the Trump administration is actively fanning the flames of that violence and silencing the voices of people who have been victimized because of who they are,” the joint statement reads.
Both the DA’s office and advocacy groups called on the BJS and the federal government to reverse its decision, saying that the new protocol inhibits their ability to promote equal justice under the law.
In Colorado, there are several Republican lawmakers either with ties to or outright members of anti-LGBTQ hate groups.
When asked, an official for the Bureau of Justice Statistics said, “The BJS remains committed to collecting and reporting data in alignment with all applicable laws, policies, and federal guidance, including the Hate Crime Statistics Act.”
When asked for clarification, another official acknowledged that they “comply with Executive Order 14168, which specifies that federal data collections ‘shall not request gender identity.’”
The Boulder County DA’s Office has established a hotline for crime reports, including hate crimes and worked with Rocky Mountain Equality to create a law enforcement liaison for the queer community.
Update: 07/02/2025 – Added statements from the Bureau of Justice Statistics clarifying current policy on collecting gender identity data
