“Report Shows Massive Increase In Anti-LGBTQ Violence Since Trump Took Office,” read the title of the Huffington Post article that was published on January 22nd, 2018. Right below the title it said, “It’s incredibly scary to be LGBTQ in Trump’s America.”

The article cited The New York City Anti-Violence Project’s annual Crisis of Hate report, claiming there was an 86 percent increase in “hate violence homicides” in the U.S. in 2017, making it the “deadliest year yet for LGTBQ community.” The author noted that the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs — a coalition of 40 community-based anti-violence groups — recorded 52 LGTBQ “hate-based” homicides in 2017, a “sharp increase from 28 single-incident anti-LGTBQ homicides in 2016.” They also noted that the Pulse Nightclub massacre wasn’t included when calculating single incident homicides.

In a comment to Huffington Post, Beverly Tillary, the executive director of the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, blamed Trump for the increase of violence against LGTBQ people saying:

“Trump won the election by saying it was time to take back America for people feeling pushed out by LGBTQ people, immigrants and people of color.”

“It was a tactical move to attack those communities,” she added. “It worked, and there are more instances of violence because the climate in the country has changed. It has given an opening for people to feel like they can commit acts of hate-based violence without much repercussion.”

Other websites that published the report’s findings included NBC News, Teen Vogue, MarketWatch, The Hill, PaperMag, Washington Blade, Advocate, and others.

Previously, during late August of 2017, NCAVP issued a “mid-year” report, saying that they:

… decided to issue this report early in hopes that it will raise awareness of the crisis of fatal violence against LGBTQ and HIV affected communities, and will compel people to take action to end this violence.

They noted that they’ve recorded “36 hate violence related homicides of LGBTQ and HIV affected people,” which was the “highest number of anti-LGBTQ homicides in our whole history of tracking this information.”

Buzzfeed, Broadly, Bustle, Refinery 29, NBC News published the findings.

Meanwhile, one of the most recent articles that cited the full January 2018 report came from Media Matters, in a February 1, 2019 article titled “Anti-LGBTQ attacks against high-profile queer Americans should be a wake-up call to everyone,” in which the author talks about the alleged assault on Jussie Smollett and how that — and other incidents — should serve as a wake up call for the rest of the country. It also claims that, “Black queer folk, transgender people, queer immigrants, and those at the intersections of these identities have been living with this fear and pain for years, and it has shown no sign of getting better.”

The author also mentions that Media Matters published a “yearlong study of TV News coverage of those 52 homicides in 2017,” and saying that:

What we found shows why Smollett’s attack may have been such a wake-up call for so many: The media was barely touching these stories.

At the top of the article, there’s a small note from the editor: “Following the publication of this post, Smollett was arrested on February 21 by Chicago police ‘on suspicion of filing a false report about’ the alleged assault.”

Various others cited it in different, but related, articles, such as USA Today, Philly.com, and Newsweek.

But, what does the report say and how accurate is it? That’s what I intend to find out (for those lazy, you can scroll towards the end of the article).

— —

First, what is their definition of “anti-LGTBQ” homicide, or as they refer to it, “hate violence”? Thankfully, they explain near the end of the report:

“All homicides listed here were included in this report because there is information that indicates a strong likelihood that the motivations behind the violence were either primarily or partially related to anti-LGBTQ bias.”

So, homicides with a “strong likelihood that motivations behind the violence were either primarily or partially related to anti-LGTBQ bias.”

(1) The first name in the report is Mesha Caldwell, a trans woman that was found shot to death on a Madison County, Mississippi road on January 4th, 2017.

There’s a recent article from February 4th, 2019, titled “Hate Crimes Are Still a Problem. Lawmakers Could Help,” in which the author argued how Mississippi has to “catch up” with other states in the South and the rest of the country, and update the “hate crime laws to include disability, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity.”

The author of the article is Scott Colom, a district attorney. He started off by talking about the alleged harassment and violent attack on Jussie Smollet, before he brought up Mesha Cadwell and others, saying that she was “targeted for … [her] gender identity.

Similarly, Human rights campaign recently urged the House and Senate to vote on “Crucial Update to the State’s Hate Crimes Law.”

In the article on their website, they claimed that Mississippi has faced a tragic, disproportionate number of anti-transgender crimes, and listed Mesha Caldwell as one of the examples. The article argues that she, along with another victim, wasn’t able to receive full justice under the law because of the lack of protections for gender identity. (According to a different article by Human Rights Campaign, Mississippi lawmakers refused to bring up the two bills for a vote).

The issue with claiming that she was targeted because of her gender identity is that as of December 2018, as the Jackson Free Press article notes, the murder remains unsolved and there do not seem to be any suspects.

• No suspects.

(2) The second person in the report is Jamie Lee Wounded Arrow, a trans woman that was stabbed to death by a man named Joshua LeClaire. He was sentenced to 80 years in prison.

In the initial interview he claimed he was intoxicated, that he blacked out, and woke up later that morning at a park with a cut to his hand; when asked how he received the cut, he claimed that Wounded Arrow struck him first. A detective testifying said that in his experience, the cut on LeClaire’s hand wasn’t one of defense from stabbing attempt.

In pre-sentence investigation, he said Wounded Arrow had come at him first and made unwanted sexual advanced — claims which the judge Bradley Zell said he had a hard time believing. One of the articles notes that he was aware of her being a transgender woman, according to friend, and that they knew each other through their time at a Sioux Falls halfway house. Police early on in the investigation ruled out her gender identity as a motive in the case.

Security footage showed him entering her apartment building, then coming out shortly afterwards presumably because he wasn’t let in, then he walked around outside the building to tap on her window to let him in. The article also notes he carries a somewhat hefty juvenile and adult record, with the judge saying he thinks LeClaire is a dangerous person.

• Disproven.

(3) Sean Ryan Hake, a trans man, was shot and killed by a police officer during a domestic disturbance incident in Sharon, Pennsylvania. According to the investigators, Hake had threatened to put a razor blade to his mother’s throat and repeatedly refused police orders to put down a utility knife he was holding after he got out of his car. He was shot three times by a police officer when he began to move towards one of the officers with a knife in his hand.

Mercer County District Attorney Miles Karson Jr. concluded that the shooting was determined to be justified and no charges would be filed against the officer. According to Karson, “Hake stated that you are going to have to kill me, or I’m going to have to kill you.”

• Disproven.

(4) Savyon Zabar, a gay man and an icon in NYC nightlife, was strangled to death by Daquean King, a male masseuse. King claimed he was acting in self-defense after Sayvon Zabar got upset for having his advanced rebuffed. According to him, he was giving him a massage inside Zabar’s apartment, when Zabar began to put his hands “where they didn’t belong,” and King allegedly refused to indulge him. He claims Zabar became enraged and started to choke him, which is why he pushed back and strangled Zabar, “accidentally killing him.”

According to police sources, the victim frequently received massages.

According to a different news article, which cites police sources, “King was a masseur who Zabar employed twice a week and who also had a sexual relationship with him.”

• Disproven.

(5) Bill Denham, a gay social worker, was taking a walk to the nearby Walmart to pick up frozen dinner when he was attacked by two men and a woman. Out of the three suspects that have been identified, only the woman, Jadian Zeiders, has been charged with second-degree murder. At first she said she knew nothing, then claimed that he walked into her yard and masturbated — something that people who knew Denham called “absurd.” She said she told two men she knew about it, they drove around, and eventually spotted him before confronting him.

Zeiders also said that it was an unknown man that jumped out of the bushes to kick and rob him. Five people that were interviewed in the reports say that Zeiders or one of the men, talked about beating a man. One witness picked one of the men out of a photo line-up, and said he was “bragging” and “claimed to have beaten someone to death.”

There doesn’t seem to be any news since November last year, but from information available, it doesn’t appear to be motivated by “anti-LGTBQ bias.”

• No clear motive.

(6) Dontae Lampkins, a gay man, was fatally shot and his body was found in an alleyway.

According to the report, which used news articles as the source, friends and family believed that his death was hate-motivated, and that he was murdered by someone whom he met using a dating app — according to a different article, police speculated that he may have been murdered by someone whom he met using a dating app.

There are no suspects, and there doesn’t seem to be further news about it.

• No suspects.

(7) JoJo Striker is a trans woman that was shot and killed in a vacant garage, where she was found. According to the report, JoJo’s mother spoke to press saying she believed her daughter’s death was motivated by hate.

According to police, her criminal past may have led to her death. No suspects have been found.

• No suspects.

(8) Jaquarrius Holland is a trans woman that was allegedly shot during a verbal altercation with Malcom Derricktavios Harvey, who fled the scene. According to a news article, he was charged with second degree murder.

There doesn’t seem to be a lot of information about it, but nothing to suggest that it was motivated by “anti-LGTBQ bias.”

• No clear motive.

(9) Keke Collier is a trans woman, who was shot while walking near her home. According to her friend and activist Shasha Lauren, who spoke to several witnesses, they say they saw Keke get into a car with a man who later shot her. As of now, no suspects have been found.

• No suspects.

(10) Chyna Gibson was a trans woman that was shot and killed outside of a shopping center, while visiting new Orelans for Mardi Gras and to see her family.

As of right now, no suspects have been found.

• No suspects.

(11) Glenser Soliman, a gay man, was lured to his death while using a dating or a hook-up app. Two suspects — Brandon Alexander Lyons and Jerrett Jamal Allen — were identified as suspects, and according to prosecutors, Lyons beat and strangled Soliman. The same men have also lured another person mentioned in this report — (12) Vinh Nguyen.

Harris County detectives said that Allen used Nguyen’s credit cards in El Paso in April 2017. Lyons was charged with capital murder in the death of Glenser Soliman.

They suspect the motive was robbery.

• Disproven.

(13) Ciara McElven is a trans woman that was stabbed to death by a man going by the name of Leonard Ward. Detectives have obtained a warrant charging him with second-degree murder, but it doesn’t seem like he was found.

• No clear motive.

(14) Alphonza Watson, a trans woman, was shot to death in the early morning, and two men were witnessed feeling the scene.

The suspects haven’t been found. According to Baltimore Police Spokesman T.J. Smith, it doesn’t appear she was targeted because she was transgender.

• No suspects.

(15) Andrew Nesbitt, a gay man, was found stabbed in his apartment. Darrick E. Anderson was charged with first-degree intentional homicide.

According to testimony at Anderson’s trial, Nesbitt was celebrating his 46th birthday by going out alone. After leaving Club 5 at bar-closing time, he walked to a West Washington Avenue convenience store where he met Anderson, and the two walked back to Nesbitt’s apartment on North Butler Street.

He was identified as the suspect in the crime a day later, and arrested for shoplifting.

According to Wisconsin Gazette article, while the criminal complaint filed didn’t state a motive for the killing, Anderson has a long criminal history that includes arrests for fourth-degree sexual assault, physical assault, criminal damage to property, and other crimes. He was sentenced to life.

Given the criminal history of the perpetrator and nothing to suggest that this was motivated by “anti-LGTBQ bias,” I will chalk this up as disproven.

• Disproven.

(16) Kenne McFadden, a trans woman, was found floating in San Antonio River. Her death was originally classified as drowning, then reclassified as a homicide.

Mark Daniel Lewis was accused of causing the drowning, however, State District Judge Joey Contreras, after a hearing that effectively amounted to a bench trial of the manslaughter case, ruled that Lewis’ actions in the death of Kenne McFadden, 26, did not rise to the level of criminal conduct.

Prosecutors had presented evidence that Lewis admitted to two different San Antonio police officers that he had inadvertently pushed McFadden into the water, telling one of the officers that she had groped him. She was heavily intoxicated and, according to her family, could not swim.

According to Terry Hardway, a San Antonio Park Police officer who testified, he said he saw Lewis and McFadden together on the River Walk two days before her body was found. Video from a nearby store that was played in court showed the two together that night. Hardeway recognized McFadden, testifying that she was a “regular” in his patrol area who he’d previously arrested for public intoxication and was known for “harassing” people by dancing close to them.

Hardeway said he saw Lewis and McFadden embrace multiple times that night. A couple hours later, Hardeway said Lewis approached him at a Whataburger and told him that he had pushed someone into the river. Hardeway checked the area where Lewis said the incident occurred, near Texas Land & Cattle steakhouse, but saw no one in the water.

According to a detective who interviewed him when he was brought in custody after being arrested on an active warrant in another case, Lewis initially said that he didn’t know McFadden, before admitting that they were in jail together before. Eventually, he told the detective that he attempted to assist a visibly intoxicated McFadden after she was pushed to the ground by another man.

He also said that he and McFadden shared a consensual kiss but said McFadden grabbed his buttocks and asked to go home together. “I hate physical contact. I hate when people lay their hand on me,” Lewis told Juarez, adding that he had been sexually abused in the past. Lewis then admitted he pushed McFadden away, causing her to fall into the water, and when he last saw her, she had resurfaced and grabbed onto the ledge.

• Disproven.

While there’s nothing to suggest that it was motivated by “anti-LGTBQ bias,” the reason the case didn’t get far seems to be because prosecutors made a mistake when they “married” the probation case with the homicide case.

“They ‘botched’ the manslaughter case, he said, by presenting the entirety of the evidence in the hearing, rather than sticking to a narrow set of relevant facts that could have secured a probation revocation.”

(17) Bruce Garnett, a gay man, was found stabbed in his house, and was apparently dead for several weeks before he was found. He was a LGTBQ rights advocate.

A man named James M. Wheeler was charged with second-degree murder. They were friends for 20 years, and Wheeler acknowledged that they had a sexual relationship. They also lived together in 2006.

Wheeler’s attorney, Wayne Morgan, pointed out that Wheeler told authorities after confessing he fatally stabbed Garnett that the stabbing took place while the two men were fighting and that he was defending himself against Garnett, who he claimed was the aggressor.

• Disproven.

(18) Chay Reed, a trans woman, was shot while running across a street, and her attacker fled the scene. According to police, they haven’t ruled out the murder as a hate crime, although they have little to indicate that was the case. Detectives also said Reed had engaged in prostitution in the past, but couldn’t say if it was what led to the shooting.

• No suspects.

(19) Mx. Bostick, a homeless trans person was a victim of a head blow who succumbed to their injuries 12 days later. Joseph Griffin, a homeless man, allegedly bashed Bostick’s head with a pipe. 90 minutes after assaulting the victim, he was was observed running through traffic in the middle of the street. When a taxi driver stopped his car to avoid hitting Griffin, the defendant approached his vehicle and climbed onto the front of the car, smashing his windshield. He was charged with manslaughter.

After the attack, the Daily News reported, the suspect “walked away but turned back a second later and shouted, ‘Someone stole my bag.’ Bostick stumbled for a block before losing consciousness. Law enforcement officials described the attack as spontaneous. “There is no evidence to support the fact that the victim had stolen the defendant’s backpack,” a prosecutor said, according to the paper.

The NYPD described Bostick’s killing not as a hate crime but rather as a “dispute between neighbors.”

• Disproven.

(20) Earl English, a gay man, was killed found shot dead inside his home. According to media reports, he was last seen at an LA Fitness center with another man.

According to an article October 18, 2017, five months after the murder, the case remains unsolved due to no leads.

• No suspects.

(21) Imer Alvarado, a person dressed in drag (his close friend said he wasn’t transgender) who allegedly worked as a prostitute, was shot multiple times by Derrick Garcia after a dispute. Derrick Gracia surrendered a year after the murder. According to police Chief Jerry Dyer, “ It’s difficult to say what the motive is.” A recent news article notes that a judge determined Derrick Garcia is mentally incompetent to stand trial in court, and will be going to a state hospital.

• No clear motive.

(22) Sherrell Faulker, a trans woman, was found by a dumpster with trauma from an assault, and died from injuries. No suspects have been found.

Equality NC, the largest LGTBQ advocacy group in the state, said at the time that her death marked “high point in a national crisis. “

She, and another victim of a murder that’s also mentioned in this report, were mentioned in an article titled “Amid anti-LGBTQ violence, N.C. Democrats seek expansion of state hate crimes law.” According to “lawmakers and LGTBQ advocates,” she was used as one of the reasons as to why they supported a senate bill that would add sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, disability and gender to the scope of the state’s hate crimes law.

• No suspects.

(23) Kevin Wirth, a gay man, was stabbed to death at his home. According to media reports he had gone home with a man whom he met at a local bar, and texted friends at points throughout the night expressing concern about his safety. Stabbed 26 times. Larkin Neely Jr was charged with murder and armed robbery. Neely was initially found not competent to stand trial, but in September, the court determined his competency had been restored.

• No clear motive.

(24) David Swartley, a gay man and a former Goshen City Councilman, was murdered by a person that responded to the personal ad he placed for “casual encounters.” He was found scrunched and naked in the back of his car, with multiple head injuries.

He was apparently killed by Cody Garman. According to interviews, he told the investigators that the responded to an online advertisement for “casual encounters,” that apparently involved Swartley. They allegedly agreed to meet, and Swatley drove to Garman’s driveway. Investigators said in court documents that the two got into an apparent disagreement during the encounter.

Garman admitted he used Craigslist to seek anonymous sexual encounters with men. In the early morning hours of May 25, Swartley answered an ad he posted. The two set up a rendezvous and met in Swartley’s car behind Garman’s aunt’s house, Garman said.

But they kept going until Swartley surprised Garman with a vial of an inhalant drug, which made him groggy, Garman said. He came to with Swartley on top of him. Garman reacted, saying he kicked Swartley and punched him 2 to 4 times.

• Disproven.

(25) Matthew Murrey, a gay man, was was found stabbed to death in his apartment. He was last seen two days earlier, in a gay bar, and talked with friends about attending black parade celebration.

No suspects have been found.

• No suspects.

(26) Josie Berrios, a trans woman and a drag performer, was found dead with apparent burns on her body at a building that was under construction.

Michael A. Davis was charged with first-degree arson and first-degree murder. He was responsible for starting the fire, which ultimately caused her to Berrios to die. Her death, according to court documents, was a result of smoke inhalation.

As the article notes, there were calls from the community to investigate the incident as a hate crime due to Berrios’ identity as a transgender woman.

District Attorney Matt Van Houten, however, said there was no evidence to support that the charges related to Berrios’ death were a a hate crime under New York State Penal Law. According to several of Berrios’ friends, Davis and Berrios knew each other prior to the homicide. Davis told the court that he and Berrios were in a relationship at the time of the homicide.

Davis attributed ‘relationship dysfunctions’ between himself and Berrios, which he said led to the deterioration of his mental health and ultimately Berrios’ murder. The defendant said the two had met in 2008 when they parted ways, and re-connected in Ithaca where they shared a two-bedroom apartment.

He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

• Disproven.

(27) Neil Rodney Smith, a gay man, was found dead at in the bedroom of his apartment with a wet towel stuffed in his mouth and a pillow over his face, following the late-night tryst. Police believe Smith, who was CEO of the investment firm Infraccess, hooked up with a man he met online and invited to his apartment the previous evening, officials said.

Shortly before his death, a guest who was staying at Smith’s apartment heard the two having sex, police sources said. The following day, the house guest discovered him dead in the bedroom.

It doesn’t seem like any charges have been made against anyone, and there doesn’t seem to be anything to suggest it was an “anti-LGTBQ bias” homicide.

• No suspects.

(28) Ava Le’Ray Barrin is a trans woman that was fatally shot after an argument with Jalen Brown, a trans woman that was her acquaintance. While Brown was charged with murder, the charges were eventually dropped as the judge decided it was self-defense in a feud between them.

The article goes in more detail, such as noting that Barrin and her friends surrounded Brown’s car, who borrowed a handgun from her friend and brandished it at Barrin while refusing to get into a fight, and telling Barrin and her friends to leave. When they didn’t do so, she fired a warning shot into the air, which didn’t have any effect.

The shooting occurred while Brown was walking down to the parking lot — gun and keys in hand — and encountered Barrin on the stairs. The judge wrote that Barrin and Brown then struggled, with Barrin putting Brown into a headlock and trying to take the gun away from Brown.

Barrin was shot while the two lost their balance and fell several steps down to the ground. The judge decided that Brown’s actions were self-defense because Barrin ‘reasonably believed that her own great bodily harm was imminent’ at the time of the shooting, along with noting that Barrin had shown no fear when Brown initially brandished the gun and fired the warning shot. Additionally, Brown had made several attempts at deescalating the brewing fight.

• Disproven.

(29) Michael Jones, a gay man, died after his head struck the pavement after a fight. While it was initially considered as a possible hate crime, Mount Vernon officials downplayed that angle and emphasized the possibility that no crime occurred at all.

Sources told New York City TV station WCBS that Jones was gay, but his cousin Laurie Hemphill said he was not.

It doesn’t seem like a suspect was found.

• No suspects.

(30) Ebony Morgan, a trans woman, was shot multiple times during the early morning hours and was transported to Lynchburg General Hospital hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Kenneth Allen Kelley Jr., was charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

According to the article, the homicide galvanized the area’s LGBTQ community, prompting discussion and extended open hours at the Lynchburg Diversity Center and a visit from the director of the Virginia Anti-Violence Project, which focuses on violence against those in LGBTQ communities.

According to his lawyer, Kelley was on the way to a party in the city when he stopped by the Rivermont Avenue apartment building to sell someone cocaine. Kelley hadn’t met Morgan before that night. When it became apparent Morgan had no money to pay for the drugs, Morgan crowded Kelley and grabbed him, prompting Kelley to shoot the victim.

“I’m sorry for the actions I committed … but I was scared for my life,” he said.

• Disproven.

(31) Robert Lee Covington, a gay man, was found suffocated to death at his home. According to court documents, Yevin Rushing, the perpetrator, admitted to police that he met Covington on Craigslist. He was accused of using duct tape to suffocate Covington before stealing property like a Rolex watch.

Covington’s neighbors saw Rushing leave Covington’s apartment and lock the door behind him on July 7, 2017. A few hours later, witnesses saw Rushing return in a moving truck, planning to empty Covington’s apartment.

Yevin Rushing was sentenced to 30 years for aggravated kidnapping, and 30 years for aggravated robbery.

• Disproven.

(32) Rodriguez Montes Burks, a gay man, was killed by a fellow inmate in his cell. According to media reports, prior to his death, prison staff ignored both Burk’s and his cellmate’s request to be separated, the issue being Burk’s sexual identity.

Deshawn Madden was charged with first-degree murder.

He was sentenced to 60 years in prison.

• True.

(33) TeeTee Dangerfield, a trans woman, was fatally shot while parked in her vehicle. Tyrone Anthony Kemp was arrested over her murder. Kemp lived at the complex in College Park and the two had met a short time before he allegedly shot and killed Dangerfield.

Motive for the murder has not been established and Kemp hasn’t confessed.

There doesn’t seem to be any newer updates on the case.

• No clear motive.

(34) John Jolly, a gay man, was stabbed to death on a street corner in Manhattan, by a rapper from a group called Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five. The rapper, Nathaniel Glover, who rapped as Kidd Creole, claimed he first thought John Jolly made a pass after the two walked by each other. They got into an argument and he fatally stabbed the man.

• True.

(35) Jaylow McGlory was killed in a residence in Alexandria, Louisiana, and Desmond Harris was charged with second degree murder.

In a recent article, his attorney asked the judge to toss the murder indictment, arguing that Louisiana’s current jury system is unconstitutional. Based on information available, there’s nothing to suggest that the murder was motivated by “anti-LGTBQ bias.”

• No clear motive.

(36) Juan Javier Cruz, a straight man, was shot by Nelson Hernandez Mena, after defending a group of his friends against homophobic slurs.

• True.

(37) Gwynevere River Song, a trans person, was killed by their father. There was an argument between Song and their father at the door of his house. Song was holding a knige, and he shot her four times. He claimed he killed his daughter in self-defense after she came to his door with a knife and began stabbing him. That’s when he got his gun and shot her four times.

A grand jury in Ellis County no-billed Robert Wayne Mosher in connection with the murder, meaning that the case didn’t move forward.

Song’s Mother, Marcy Sutton, said that she is upset the grand jury didn’t get to look at documents she had turned over to investigators, including documentation on gun violations by Mosher, CPS reports against, stalking violations and letters from his family saying that his violent behavior began before he and Sutton were ever married. Sutton said she also has tapes of phone calls he made to her, and of calls between Mosher and Song.

Sutton said Mosher was discharged from the military after just a year-and-a-half of service, and that he was “jailed in Belton [near Fort Hood] for child endangerment when he caught a kid stealing from a store and took it upon himself to spank the child.”

Song began hormone therapy while she was at school. Sutton said at that time, Song was still welcome in her father’s house, and she even visited him with a partner, who is also transgender.

Sutton seems to believe it was motivated out of hate, but there’s doesn’t seem to be anything to suggest that.

• No clear motive.

(38) Kiwi Herring, a trans woman, was a married mother of three who lived with her 28-year-old spouse, Kristy Thompson. The couple was constantly harassed by their allegedly transphobic neighbors, according to Gregory and Herring’s sister-in-law, Crevonda Nance.

According to police Chief Larry o’Toole, officers were called to the family’s home early that morning because Herring allegedly stabbed one of her neighbors with a kitchen knife given to her by Thompson. Herring’s neighbor suffered a punctured lung and cuts to his face, hands and body during the fight, according to a sworn police affidavit reported by the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

One of the responding officers testified that the argument between neighbors began after a piece of charcoal started a fire on Herring’s second-floor balcony. Her first-floor neighbors owned a barbeque pit and Herring suspected they deliberately started the fire. When police arrived, Herring slashed one of them with the kitchen knife, prompting the two responding officers to shoot her a total of five times.

• Disproven.

(39) Ally Lee Steinfeld, a trans woman, was killed by Andrew Vrba, who was charged with first degree murder. Vrba told investigators he initially tried to poison Steinfield, then described how he stabbed Steinfeld in the living room of Calderas’ mobile home.

There were three other suspects, including Briana Calderas with whom she was in relationship with, and who faces charge of first-degree murder and abandonment of corpse. James T. Grigsby, 25, of Thayer, pleaded guilty to abandonment of a corpse and was sentenced to four years in prison.

The fourth person, Isis Schauer, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. According to Schauer, Steinfeld “had been in a physical altercation with Vrba on September 3, 2017.”

Briana Calderas and Isis Shauer told authorities they helped burn Steinfeld’s body after Vrba gouged out Steinfeld’s eyes, repeatedly stabbed the teen — including multiple times in the genitals — and bragged about the killing, according to the article.

Police have not released a motive for Steinfeld’s murder, and the prosecution didn’t pursue hate crime charges.

• No clear motive.

(40) Anthony Torres, a gay man, was shot on the sidewalk in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco. He was an LGTBQ activist. Hieu Trung Nguyen is considered a suspect, with $15 warrant set, but so far hasn’t been found.

• No clear motive.

(41) Derricka Banner, a trans woman, was shot and killed in a vehicle. Montavious Sanchez Berry was arrested and charged with murder, armed robbery, and shooting into an occupied vehicle.

According to the warrant, Banner contacted the suspect, Montavious Sanchez Berry, 18, to meet up to have sex. Berry was the last person whom Banner texted before he was killed, the warrant states. After the shooting, detectives found Banner’s phone which contained a video of Banner and Berry “engaged in sexual activity.” The video was taken approximately 30 minutes before the shooting occurred, according to the warrant.

Banner’s friend, another trans woman who goes by the name Tooker, was hiding in the trunk of the car when Banner was shot to death because she was uneasy about meeting Berry.

According to police spokesman Robert Tufano, “There has been no information or evidence gathered at this point of the investigation to indicate that Derrick[a] Banner was killed because of gender identity.”

• Disproven.

(42) Scout Schultz, a non-binary and intersex person, was shot and killed by Georgia Tech Campus police. Schultz was a student activist that led university’s Pride Alliance.

As the report notes, Schultz was in emotional distress when they walked towards police carrying a knife before they were shot. According to investigation, Georgie Tech campus police was called over a man reportedly wielding a knife — the call was made by Scout Schultz, who was later shot and killed by them. Schultz, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, left three suicide notes behind in a dormitory room.

In the call to police Saturday night, Schultz described a suspicious person “as a white male, with long blond hair, white T-shirt & blue jeans who is possibly intoxicated, holding a knife and possibly armed with a gun on his hip,” according to a statement from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

According to the video of the incident captured by a bystander, Schultz can be heard saying “Shoot me!” several times while walking towards the officers.

“Drop the knife, man, come on,” a police officer responded, shortly before Schultz was shot.

After the shooting, a vigil was held and about 50 people broke away to march towards the police station. There was a protest, a police car was set ablaze, two officers were hurt, and three people were arrested.

• Disproven.

(43) Elizabeth Stephanie Montez, a trans woman, was fatally shot, and four suspects have been identified and charged with murder.

Green, Huehlefeld, Randy Dorsey and Jace Montange met and planned Montez’s death, luring her out to an abandoned barn. Huehlefeld fired a shot at Montez, Manning said. Green then took the gun from her and handed it to Montange who continued shooting as she ran away.

Green said that he knew Montez for about a year, and that he was selling drugs to her. He said that on the day of the murder, Huehlefeld told him that somebody had taken $20 in rolls of dimes from her without her consent. Green said he, his brother-in-law Randy Dorsey, and a friend went to look for who stole the money. Green told investigators that he went to Church’s Chicken and found out that Montez had exchanged the rolls of dimes. He told Huehlefeld that Montez stole the money from her. Later that same day, Green said Montez went to his residence and bought some drugs from him before going back home.

During the trial’s first phase, prosecutors argued Green was the leader in coming up with a plan to kill Montez for stealing $20 in change.

A jury sentenced Green to 55 years for murder and 65 years for engaging in organized criminal activity. His sentences were ordered to run concurrently. Chloe Huehlefeld was sentenced to 55 years in the killing. Randy Lamar Dorsey accepted a pleae agreement, pleading guilty to second-degree felony engaging in organized criminal activity, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, suspended for 10 years of probation.

• Disproven.

(44) Candace Towns, a trans woman, was fatally shot to death in a driveway on Rosecrest Ave. around 4 p.m. on Halloween 2017. A year later Sheriff Davis said Towns’ murder has yet to be solved. There are no suspects.

• No suspects.

(45) Giovanni Melton, a gay man, was fatally shot by his father, Wendell Melton. According to media reports, his father was upset by Giovanni’s sexuality and the fact that Giovanni had a boyfriend.

• True.

(46) Sydney Loofe, a lesbian woman, was reported missing after meeting up with a woman she met on a dating app. Her body was found several weeks after, and two suspects had been identified — Aubrey Trail and Bailey Boswell. Trail was charged with strangling, dismembering her, and disposing of her body parts in trash bags in the field.

According to court documents, Aubrey Trail and Bailey Boswell began conspiring to commit murder more than four months before they met Sydney Loofe. In their conspiracy, Boswell “solicited” young women on social-networking sites.

While the motive hasn’t been made public, they were alleged con artists. Trail also said that he and Bailey Boswell — his girlfriend — traveled with women who made $500 to $10,000 to engage in consensual sexual fantasies with customers.

• Disproven.

(47) Brooklyn BreYanna Stevenson, a trans woman, was shot and fatally killed. Authorities arrested 31-year-old Brandon Tyson on one count of first-degree murder.

Tyson entered a blind plea to one count of first-degree murder in the case. Likely to get life in prison.

No motive seem to be known.

• No clear motive.

(48) Brandi Seals, a trans woman, was fatally shoot in Houston, Texas.

Seals was found dead in a home that was under construction after neighbors reported hearing six gunshots. She was in a car. Neighbors told Fox 26 they heard a series of gunshots, which hit Seals’ car and a neighbor’s garage. Fox 26 reported Seals was working as a prostitute to help fund expenses related to her transition. A review of Seals’ record reveals she had previously been arrested on various occasions for petty theft, prostitution and other minor offenses.

The police speculated that Brandi was “… working the street, that someone picks up and then realizes [Brandi’s] not what [they] represent[ed] [themselves] to be and take this kind of ultimate action.” However, no suspects has been found.

• No suspects.

(49) Shanta Myers and (50) Brandi Myers, two lesbian women, were brutally murdered together with their children. All four had been bound by their feet and had their throats slit.

According to the indictment, James White and Justin Mann were committing a burglary when they killed the women and children before fleeing the apartment with the television and video game console.

• Disproven.

(51) Kerrice Lewis, a gay woman, was locked in a car, shot, and the car was set on fire. Three suspects were brought in over her murder.

The article notes that Armani Nico Coles, an associate of hers, was also shot to death by Malique Lewis, two hours before Kerrice Lewis was Killed. They were both shot with the same pistol. According to the charging documents, that Coles and Kerrice Lewis were friends or “associates” of Dennis Whitaker, a man who was charged with murder of Ronzay Green. Green was found shot to death in the parking lot months before.

Green, in turn, was a friend and associate of the three men now charged with Kerrice Lewis and Armani Coles’ murders — Malique Lewis, Ashton Briscoe and Marcel Vines.

• Disproven.

(52) Kaladaa Crowell, a lesbian woman, was fatally shot together with her daughter by Marlin Jospeh, the son of Crowell’s girlfriend.

The day of the killings, Joseph and Crowell argued about the way Kyra “was not getting along with the other children who lived in the home,” West Palm Beach police records state. He said the fifth-grade student at Northboro Elementary School in West Palm had “a bad attitude.”

• Disproven.

The report also lists four other names — not included the above — and they say “little information is known about the circumstances of these cases.”

Alejandro Solarte is the first name, but I wasn’t able to find anything relating to the person’s murder.

The second is Ariel Gonzales, a gay man, who was found dead in his home after a friend alerted police saying she hadn’t seen him for several days and noticed foul odor coming from his house.

The sexual encounter between Gonzalez and two suspects — Travis Watson and Jacob Mitchell — happened on Sept.10 when Hurricane Irma hit the state, police said.

Mitchell refers to Watson as his husband. Watson, who had been released from prison after completing a 13-year sentence, told cops that Mitchell was mad at Gonzalez for having oral sex with him.

• Disproven.

Theodore Moore, a newlywed, was shot and killed, while his husband was tied up and forced inside a closet. The duo then ransacked the home for 90 minutes and stole television sets before leaving in Moore’s car, according to authorities. The alleged crime was caught on surveillance video.

Abdul Crawford is accused of shooting Moore, taking his shirt for fear it contained finger prints and forcing Moore’s husband to an ATM at a nearby gas station.

• Disproven.

George Yurek, was found bleeding from the head in an alley in the 1000 block of Brentwood Ave. on Sept. 3. He told police he had been beaten by an unknown man the night before. He later died at the hospital, and the medical examiner ruled his death a homicide by blunt-force trauma.

Police arrested and charged 52-year-old Eric Jones. Police say, Jones also has two additional open warrants for 1st degree assault and failing to register as a sex offender.

• Disproven

To summarize: Based on information that’s available as of right now, out of 52 “anti-LGTBQ” homicides in the report:

• 4 of the murders are anti-LGTBQ homicides.
• 14 have no suspects.
• 11 have no clear motivation.
• 23 have been disproven.

4 anti-LGTBQ homicides is a significantly lower number than 52.

If we were to consider the other 25 homicides — 14 with no suspects, and 11 with no clear motivation — and presume that they’d follow the similar pattern as the rest, that would leave us with roughly 4 more anti-LGTBQ homicides and 20 that aren’t. The numbers would still be significantly lower than 52 anti-LGTBQ homicides.

According to the report — and presuming it’s true — there were 28 anti-LGTBQ homicides in 2016, and 24 in 2015. Considering the number of anti-LGTBQ homicides in 2017, the title of the Huffington Post’s article would more correctly read: “Report Shows Massive Decrease In Anti-LGBTQ Violence Since Trump Took Office.”

Even if we were to presume that this is simple a result of carelessness, at the time of the publication of the “A Crisis in Hate” report, which happened in January 2018, more than few have been disproven — such as the homicide of Sean Ryan Hake by a police officer which happened after Hake threatened to put a razor blade to his mother’s throat, refused police orders to put down a utility knife he was holding, and started moving towards one of the officers.

According to Mercer County District Attorney Miles Karson Jr, “Hake stated that you are going to have to kill me, or I’m going to have to kill you.” This information that was a result of investigation, was available on January 17, 2017.

So was the information about Scout Schultz, a non-binary and intersex person that was shot by campus police. Schultz called police on themself — they described a suspicious person as a “white male, with long blond hair, white T-shirt & blue jeans who is possibly intoxicated, holding a knife and possibly armed with a gun on his hip.” According to the video of the incident captured by a bystander, Schultz can be heard saying “Shoot me!” several times while walking towards the officers, who asked him to drop the gun, shortly before Schultz was shot.

Meanwhile, the website’s “A Crisis of Hate” webpage that links to the report, highlights a few of the “anti-LGTBQ” homicides, such as Kaladaa Crowell, a trans woman in a case that has no suspects, and Kiwi Herring who got into an argument with neighbors and attacked one with a knife. When police arrived, she slashed one of them with a knife, prompting the two responding officers to shoot her.

One is left to wonder: In an increasingly divided nation, with trust in media at one of the lowest points, should we look to increase that division and distrust even more? Further, if Jussie Smollett’s hate crime hoax may have “potentially damaging consequences for genuine hate crime victims in the future,” doesn’t a false report about anti-LGBTQ crimes—spread by Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Refinery 29, NBC News, The Hill, Media Matters and others — do the same?

And what does it say about the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs that created such report? The report notes that since 1996, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs has released national research reports on the various ways that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) and HIV-affected communities experience hate violence and says that “The time for addressing this crisis of violence is now.”

I looked into their annual reports on income and expenses available on their website, and the report notes that between 2015 and 2016, they’ve received $2,074,150 in government grants: $609,966 from federal grants, $811,768 state grants, and $704,974 city grants. Some of supporters are also listed by the amount of their donation, with Abacus Federal Savings Bank, The Helene Foundation — a foundation that provides immediate support to mothers fighting cancer — , The New York Women’s Foundation, Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation and others donating over $10,000.

The report also notes that AVP “brought together LGBTQ organizations, the New York City Council Speaker’s office and the LGBT Caucus of City Council to begin implementation a series of Trans Forums in all 5 boroughs to discuss issues of jobs, housing, education, policing, immigration and healthcare as it relates to high levels of violence impacting transgender New Yorkers.”

While they might do genuinely good work otherwise, one has to wonder how the report ever got published — and worse, publicized by media without much scrutiny. As noted earlier in the article, Beverly Tillery, the Executive Director of the New York City Anti-Violence Project, blamed Trump for the rise of “anti-LGTBQ violence.” She’s also a guest writer at Huffington Post.

At the end, the only conclusion I’m left with is that there certainly is a crisis — a crisis of fake news.