Worldwide, Brazil reported the highest number of transgender people murdered in 2023, reaching 100 victims. Most of the murders that year were reported in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is assumed that only a minority of the cases actually are reported, and the actual number is estimated to be significantly higher.

Gender-based violence (GBV) is increasingly recognized as a critical global public health issue (WHO, 2021). According to UN Women (2020), GBV refers to any harm inflicted on an individual or group due to their actual or perceived sex, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity (Council of Europe, 2011). This broad definition encompasses various forms of violence—non-verbal, verbal, sexual, physical, economic, and psychological—impacting women, men, and the LGBTQIA+ community. The consequences of GBV are devastating and can result in long-term physical, mental, and emotional health problems, educational setbacks, job difficulties, or even death (Hazel, Kleyman, 2020; Riger et al., 2000). While both men and women may experience GBV, the majority of its burden falls on women and girls. Indeed, men and boys can be victims of GBV and so too can those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) (Carlton et al., 2016). However, it is widely acknowledged that most people affected by GBV are women and girls (Council of Europe, 2011). Thus, this highlights that violence against women is a significant part of the broader issue of GBV (Bloom, 2008). Italy is not exempt from the challenges posed by GBV. Violence against women and girls remains a long-standing issue that shows little sign of abating (Amnesty International Italia, 2021a; 2021b; EIGE, 2021a; 2021b; Istat, 2021; Eures, 2021). In recent years, Italians witnessed many high-profile cases of gender violence and femicides that attracted public attention. The forms of violence, however, are diverse, and traditional metrics of abuse have evolved due to the rise of the Internet and social media, which have created new vectors for violence against women (Amnesty International Italia, 2020; 2021b). Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic, women’s rights NGOs reported a significant increase in domestic violence, with national helplines experiencing a surge in calls—from approximately 13,400 in 2019 to over 23,000 in 2020 (Amnesty International, 2021b). In recent years, violence against LGBTQIA+ individuals has also garnered significant attention, highlighted by ongoing public discussions regarding homotransphobia and related legislation. The latest statistics from ISTAT indicate that, in 2014, 1 in 3 women aged 16-70 (31.5%) have experienced some form of physical or sexual violence during their lifetime. Specifically, 20.2% have suffered physical violence, 21% sexual violence, and 5.4% the most severe forms (e.g., rape and attempted rape). Data also reveals that the most severe forms of violence are often perpetrated by partners, relatives, or friends. As of October 24, 2024, the Ministero dell’Interno documented 249 recorded homicides in Italy since January 1, with 89 female victims. Of these women, 77 were killed in family or intimate contexts, and 48 were murdered by their partner or ex-partner. Compared to the same period in 2023, there has been a 12% decrease in overall homicides (from 282 to 249) and a 15% decrease in female victims (from 100 to 89). In response, the Italian government has adopted several proactive legal measures aimed at combating violence against women and girls (VAWG) and supporting victims. This rise suggests that awareness efforts, particularly through traditional media and the Internet, are becoming more effective. Furthermore, media narratives have played a crucial role in shaping societal attitudes towards GBV. According to Capecchi and Gius (2023), discussions have shifted from framing violence as isolated acts of brutality—often attributed to psychologically unstable individuals—to a more nuanced, gender-aware framework that recognizes social disparities in power. High-profile cases have ignited public outrage and drawn attention to the severity of GBV. It is in such context that this article explores the perception and acceptance of GBV in Italy. More specifically, the study explores the perception of GBV, extending the definition of violence to include both men and women while examining less commonly discussed and more subtle forms of violence. While previous research has primarily focused on physical and psychological violence, this study expands the scope to include 'grey zone' areas such as subtle non-verbal, verbal, and physical acts. The study argues that the acceptance of subtle acts is the first steps leading to wider normalization of violence. The study thus seeks to: 1. Examine the perceived normality and acceptance of violence 2. Study the role of the gender in the assessment of violence 3. Analyze the how the nature of the relationships between people and the social context where they are embedded influence the perceived normality and acceptance of violence and moderate the role of gender for the assessment. 4. Investigate the willingness to intervene against violence 5. Assess whether the perceived normality and the willingness to intervene varies according to respondents' gender and their previous experiences or related incidents of violence. The study uniquely examines various forms of GBV (non-verbal, verbal, physical) and the dynamics involved (e.g., the gender of the victim and offender, and their relationship), potentially expanding the discourse beyond the traditional focus on physical and psychological violence in male-offender and female-victim scenarios. Also, it tests the acceptance of violence on both men and women in Italy. This is particularly relevant in understanding male intervention, aligning with the growing recognition that men can serve as bystanders and advocates for gender transformation (Flood, 2018; Bolton et al., 2024). The study relies on a factorial survey (vignette) experiment that is administrated in the fall 2024 in Italy by Dynata.

(This study is part of a broader project titled "Inequality between reality and perception: socio-economic status, gender and immigration in Italy (IneqPer)" which is funded by the Italian competitive grant PRIN-PNRR 2022 (P2022TWZN3).)

In 2023, there were 1,215 victims of anti-gay hate crimes in the United States, making gay men the group with the most victims attacked for their gender or sexual orientation in that year. Furthermore, there were another 409 victims of anti-transgender hate crimes and 198 victims of anti-lesbian hate crimes in 2023.

Abstract Violence against LGBT people has always been present in our society. Brazil is the country with the highest number of lethal crimes against LGBT people in the world. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of homicides of LGBT people in Brazil using spatial analysis. The LGBT homicide rate was used to facilitate the visualization of the geographical distribution of homicides. Public thoroughfares and the victim’s home were the most common places of occurrence. The most commonly used methods for killing male homosexuals and transgender people were cold weapons and firearms, respectively; however, homicides frequently involved beatings, suffocation, and other cruelties. The large majority of victims were aged between 20 and 49 years and typically white or brown. The North, Northeast and Central-West regions, precisely the regions with the lowest HDI, presented LGBT homicide rates above the national rate. LGBT homicides are typically hate crimes and constitute a serious public health problem because they affect young people, particularly transgender people. This problem needs to be addressed by the government, starting with the criminalization of homophobia and the subsequent formulation of public policies to reduce hate crimes and promote respect for diversity.

A research project developed by the Trans Murder Monitoring (TMM) revealed that at least 235 trans or gender-diverse people were murdered in Latin America from October 2022 to September 2023. The highest number of victims was reported in Brazil, with 100 homicides. Mexico was the second deadliest country for trans people in Latin America, having registered 52 murders in the same period.

ABSTRACT: Objective: This study aimed to describe the profile of notifications of violence against LGBT people in Brazil, from 2015 to 2017. Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study with secondary data on records of violence against LGBT people. The study population included individuals aged 10 and older with homosexual or bisexual orientation as well as transvestites or transgender identities. Results: Throughout the study period, 24,564 reports of violence were recorded. Regarding the victim’s profile, 69.1% were 20 to 59 years old, 50.0% were black, 46.6% were transsexual or transvestites and 57.6% were homosexual, of which 32.6% were lesbian and 25.0%, gay. In all age groups, the most frequent nature of violence was physical violence (75.0%). The probable author was male in 66.2% of the cases, being intimate partners the most frequent aggressors (27.2%), followed by strangers (16.5%). Conclusion: This study expands knowledge of violence against LGBT people in Brazil, reinforces the need to report these events and improve quality of information on individual’s sexual orientation and gender identity in order to produce evidence to support actions to tackle this problem.

Since 1982, an astonishing 145 mass shootings have been carried out in the United States by male shooters. In contrast, only four mass shootings (defined by the source as a single attack in a public place in which four or more victims were killed) have been carried out by women. Gun ownership in the U.S. Possession of firearms in the United States is protected by the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution and has been a defining aspect of American civil liberties since the writing of the Bill of Rights. It is estimated that the United States has the highest rate of civilian-owned firearms in the world, and Americans continually poll against handgun restrictions. Mass shootings However, with high gun ownership comes high responsibility. The United States consistently faces numerous mass shootings each year, particularly in schools. The five deadliest mass shootings have all occurred since 2007, with the deadliest being the Las Vegas Strip massacre in 2017, which claimed the lives of 58 people and injured 546 more.

Since 2014, 209 incidents of anti-LGBTQ+ related hate crimes have been reported in ten of the 32 federal entities in Mexico where the source is able to collect data from local organizations. Trans women were the main target of such crimes, representing 44.5 percent of the known victims. Men followed closely, as 40.7 percent of victims of these incidents identified as such. Moreover, the sexual orientation of over 60 percent of victims was defined as homosexual. Due to the difficulties that gathering this data poses, the source estimates that the real figures of hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community are considerably higher, with at least three unreported incidents for each known crime.

Among the 860 hate crimes related to the sexual orientation of victims reported to police in Canada in 2023, more than half occurred in the province of Ontario. There were also 110 crimes of this type recorded in British Columbia.Furthermore, the number of hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation increased by almost 60 percent in Canada between 2022 and 2023.