From tickets to crimes, attacks against LGBT+ people are on the rise in 2022. In a study published on Wednesday, the statistical service of the Ministry of the Interior notes an increase of 3%. More than 4,000 incidents were recorded, the majority of which were defamations or insults.

Among these acts of hatred, the most serious are also those that increase the most. 2,420 are anti-LGBT+ crimes or misdemeanors, an increase of 13% compared to last year, while incidents recorded as contraventions are down 9%. "This could reflect an upward characterization of anti-LGBT + offenses more systematically recorded as crimes or offenses rather than tickets" by law enforcement, according to the report, published annually on the occasion of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

The tip of the iceberg of violence

Since 2016, anti-LGBT+ acts have risen sharply: +129% for crimes and offenses; +115% for tickets. This is only the visible part of these attacks: only 20% of victims of threats or violence and 5% of victims of insults report them to the police or gendarmerie, recalls the study. More than half (57%) are insults or defamation. Harassment (5%) and sexual abuse (2%) are rarer and involve "just under 200 offences".

Paris is the city where anti-LGBT + acts are the most frequent, with 400 recorded incidents or 18.1 per 100,000 inhabitants. The majority of these violations (56%) are committed in cities with more than 200,000 inhabitants. The victims are mainly men (72%), under the age of 30 (52%) and the majority of assaults take place in public places.

A hatred "anchored" in French society

The perpetrators are also predominantly male (83%) rather young (35% are under 20, of which 11% are under 15). Hatred against LGBT+ people remains "anchored" in French society, SOS Homophobia said in its annual report published Tuesday.

In 2022, the association collected some 1,500 reports of homophobic or transphobic hate situations, a level that was more or less stable compared to the previous year, but with a significant increase in physical attacks (+28%). The government will present "before the summer" a plan to better fight against anti-LGBT + violence, announced Tuesday its spokesman Olivier Véran.

  • Society
  • Homophobia
  • LGBT+ Movement
  • Transphobia