with us today. we appreciate you taking the time to be with us, to join with our committee hearing, and you are all excused. thank you so much. we will briefly recess while the panels switch.

>> the committee will come to order, we will now introduce our second panel of witnesses who will be taking questions. first will hear from miss kelley robinson, the new president of the human rights campaign, thank you. then we will hear from miss olivia hunt, policy director of the national center for transgender equality. then we will hear from dr. elon mayer, distinguished senior, scholar for the public policy at the williams institute. then we will hear from mr. charles lehman, fellow at the manhattan institute. then we will hear from miss jesse look, ceo and director of inside-out with services. finally, we will hear from mr. brandon wolf, survivor of the

pulse nightclub shooting. the witnesses will now be unmuted so that we may swear you in. please raise your right hand. do you swear to affirm the testimony you are about to give is the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you god? let the records show that the witnesses answered in the affirmative. thank you, without objective, your written statements will be part of the record. with that, miss robinson, you are now recognized to be a testimony, thank you. >> thank you, chairman maloney. thank you comer and members of the committee for huawei about to testify today. my name is kelley robinson, my pronouns are she, her, hers, i'm part of the larger civil rights organization working for human equality, for lesbian, gay, transgender and queer people. on the behalf of more than 3 million members in some quarters, i am proud to testify in support of this hearing, and demand united action to enter the rising tide of hate and violence targeting our

community. i am so grateful for the strength and courage of the club q survivors testifying here today. compounding this tragedy is the fact that this instance is just one example of the violence but shattered lgbtq plus lives, our families, our lives for the past few years. violence and discrimination against lgbtqi+ communities is a tragic result of a society that values our lives, particularly the lives of black, brown, transgender and non-gender confirming people. this hate and violence is on the rise, it is fueled by nearly unfettered access to guns, political extremism and rhetoric that is deliberately devised to make our community less safe, less equal and less free. violence has become a lived reality for so many in our community. even in 2021, one in five of all hate crimes reported to the fbi or motivated by anti lgbtq plus bias. these violent threats, disproportionately affected transgender people. over the last ten years, human rights campaign track over 300

incidents of fatal violence against trans gendered and gender nonconforming people. in 2022 so far, they reported the murders of 35 people. among the committee members lost this year, 85% or people of color, and 85% were transgender women. these acts of hatred have devastated consequences. often, these experiences leave community members, especially marginalized people more likely to live in poverty, to experience housing instability and homelessness, and to lack access to opportunities that would allow them and their families to thrive. this violence does not happen in a vacuum. anti-lgbtqi+ lawmakers efforts directly increase the risk of violence facing our communities today. state lawmakers have advanced an onslaught of anti-lgbtqi+ bills to restrict where and how we can freely and openly be our true selves. in 2022, 344 of these bills were introduced across 23

states. more than 25 of these bills were ultimately enacted across 13 states, 17 of which have a disproportionate or targeted impact on transgender people. these bills often target the youngest among us, harming children and their families. they also target the trained professionals like doctors and teachers who care for them. these unrelenting efforts by extremist lawmakers help reinforce inflammatory narratives about the community, regardless of whether or not the underlying bills are enacted. these have been weaponized many times in the past against our community, to enact discriminatory laws, to encourage extremist rhetoric and to enable violence. the recent increase in anti-lgbtq plus cleric amplify by lawmakers, fueling growing attacks in our communities, is happening in state houses, in schools, on street corners. yesterday, we released a report identifying 24 hospitals and providers across 22 states,

attacked online. following this, leading and inflammatory social post from bad actors. just last week, california state senator scott weiner, himself, a gay, jewish man was a target of a bomb threat because of his support, working with trans youth and their families. included in the threat were two words. pedophile and groomer. these threats are being made in every corner of our country, targeting lgbtq+ people, our spaces and our allies. it is happening in tulsa, where vandals firebombed a donut shop after it hosted an art installation run by drag queens. it happened in texas, after a pastor uploaded a video, asserting that gave people quote, lined up against the wall and shot in the back of the head. we must take action, action to prevent future violence and harm against these communities. first, social media, lawmakers

and other stakeholders must enable practices to fight this hate online. second, we must pass the equality act, to level the playing field and ensure that lgbtq+ people are protected from discrimination. third, we have to pass common sense gun safety measures to protect our communities from the most extreme acts of violence. ultimately, we all have to work to repudiate anti lgbtq+ rhetoric and falsehoods in the strongest possible terms. because our lives are quite literally on the line, thank you. thank you. then we will hear from ms. olivia hunt, policy center for the national trans gender equality center. >> thank you, madam chair. members of the committee. thank you for convening this hearing and for shining a light on the causes of increasing violence facing the lgbtq

community. working for the national center of transgender equality has been a dream job for me since before it started law school. there has been no greater honor in my career than being event here today to speak in front of the committee of my community this has been a dream job for me but also a job by apple one day no longer be necessary. the past year events make it clear that day still a long way off a long time ago my 47 on transgender americans has lives have been lost to violence since the member of 2021. we released it on november 18th. before dawn on transgender day of remembrance, of every 20th, the transgender shooting in club q met it was already out today. like some of the acts, the shooting at club q do not have another vacuum. this summer representative comer tweeted that we need to examine the root causes of increased violence in america. today, we are doing just that. this violence with catalyzed by cultural climate filled with anti lgbtq legislation. think pieces debating the ledge

-- just asking questions. politicians and public figures encouraging their bases to target in threaten lgbtq friendly events in organizations. fearmongering in the press and on social media. most of these attacks, and the misinformation that fuels them, are targeted trans people. and far too often at trans youth. in 2022, the and the track 27 different pieces of anti-trans legislation across 35 states. 12 states indicted least one of these bills. more than 80% of them targeted the rights of vulnerable trans youth and adults. in addition, this year politicians in several straits use administrative rather than legislative processes to attack the rights of trans people. the attorney general harassed the families of trans children, falsely labeling support of their children as child abuse. when politicians and pundits treat peoples lives as a matter of public debate, the media response in kind. giving anti-trans advocates a larger platform to share their hostile rhetoric. sensationalist had lines care

more about attracting clicks then reporting the facts. for example, just days before the club q shooting, the new york times published a front page article perpetuating misinformation about gender affirming care for children. even one anti-trans policies are defeated, they impacted trans group -- by the 2021 study by the trevor project, 85% of transducer porter that the public debates around their civil rights, their place in society, left i'm scared, stressed, angry, and hopeless. even more concerning, the same dehumanizing rhetoric that inflame currencies also -- around the general public. while politicians in the media paint trans people as something to be treated with fear and discuss, people who are already receptive that message take it to heart. it reinforces their prejudices. in their minds, trans people either become victims to be saved or villains to be punished. one example of this inaction is the misuse of the term, groomer. anti lgbtq activists have appropriated this --

used to slander lgbtq people and our allies is predatory, harmful towards children. in reality, trans people are significantly more likely to be the victims of sexual abuse and the perpetrator love it. now, this miso toronto you have become part of the political discourse around trans people. it is invoked as a reason to further restrict our rights in the name of protecting children. the same rhetoric has subsequently been used for justification's anti-lgbtq activism. heavily armed protesters have made numerous attacks or attempted intimidation against family friendly pride events and drag reforms around the country. even hospitals have been targeted with bomb threats and intimidation tactics. based on social media figures spreading baseless stories, they are in their words mutilating children. there is a straight line that could be drawn from the legislation trying to strip trans people of our human rights to the increasingly hostile and inflammatory rhetoric proclaiming a sub threat to society. to the acts of violence that have taken for too many lives. the people engaged in these efforts, from the politicians

and media efforts to normalize the dehumanization trans people, to the influencers who flew -- to the people brandishing firearms bearing culpability for the violence that ensues. the williams institute estimates there are 1.6 million americans, age 13 and up, who are transgender. we live in every state of the nation. we are librarians, your baristas, your postal workers, your i.t. department. your children, your doctors, your nurses, and your ministers. trans people are also your constituents. transferable are part of the fabric of american society. we belong, we deserve to be protected, and we matter. thank you. >> thank you very much. dr. meyer, you are now recognized for your testimony. dr. myron. thank you. chairwoman maloney, ranking member -- distinguished member of the committee. i'm a public health researcher,

a senior scholar of public health at the williams institute in ucla school of law. a member of expertise is the study of the effect of social stress related to prejudice and discrimination on the health of the lgbtq population. the lgbtq rights have seen significant developments over the past few decades. homophobia and transphobia are embedded in american history and culture they produce stress which i referred to as minority stress distress intersects with stigma and prejudice based on other so other different lgbt subgroups, such as people of color, experience social stress differently every lgbtq person has to learn to cope with stress related to stigma throughout their lives. studies have concluded that minority --

can result in an array of mental health problems including depressive symptoms, subs suicide ideation and attempt. in recent years, we have seen a resurgence and anti lgbtq rhetoric and violence. including the recent shooting in club q, in colorado. violence against lgbtq people is not new. in several recent studies, analyzing data collected by the department of justice of part of a national crime victimization survey, my colleagues and i found that all sorts of experience of violent situations, defined of rape, assault, robbery or aggravated assault, are more than four times higher for lgbtq the non-lgbtq people. assessing victimization among transgender versus a cisgender people, specifically.

we found that transgender people had four times the rate of victimization. we also assess the distribution of hate crimes, the subject of violent victimization. we found that lgbtq people experience eight times as many hate crimes as non lgbtq people. lgbtq people are socialized, like most people in society, to believe that being lgbtq is wrong and to believe in stereotypical and stigmatizing ideas, such as an lgbtq person, as an lgbtq person, they will never find happiness or a family that will love them. as children and youth, lgbtq individuals often experience rejection and even violence by families of origin. many are bullied in school. some are sent to, so-called, conversion therapies that teach them the various stereotypes and self hatred that mental health professionals say they

should learn to undo. evidence also shows that lgbtq people are more likely to experience socioeconomic stress, including higher rates of poverty, housing instability, and food insecurity. specifics of populations, including trans people, bisexuals, lgbtq people of color, older lgbtq people are especially vulnerable. transgender people have seen fewer positive social and legal changes in the past few decades then did sexual minority people. and increasingly hostile rhetoric in the past two years. gender non affirmation is a particular stress that affects the health outcomes of transgender individuals. gender not affirmation refers to the denial of recognition of a -- of a transgender person's gender. more probably their dignity and

humanity. gender affirming treatment is one form of gender affirmation. research has shown that transgender individuals who receive hormones therapy or the surgical care that they needed had lower prevalence of suicide attempts, as compared to those who have not can receive the care they needed. in summary, research shows that stigma, violence, and discrimination remain pervasive stressors for lgbtq people. while same-sex marriage have become more accepted in american society, lgbtq people still, like many nondiscrimination protections that would've been afforded them under the equality act. a lot more need to be done to afford lgbtq people equality, dignity and improve their health and well-being. thank you. >> thank you so much. mr. lehman, you are now recognized for your testimony. >> thank you to the committee

to address you today. before i begin, i want to take a moment to acknowledge the members of the prior panel for their bravery in speaking out in regards to the horrific violence perpetrated against them. victims of hate crimes deserve to be heard. i applaud the committee for giving them this platform. i'm here today in my capacity as an analyst of crime, particularly hate crimes. bias motivated offense is a serious and pressing issue in the united states. some 7300 hate crimes for reported to the fbi in 2021 including nearly 1400 offenses targeting lesbian gay bisexual transgender individuals on the basis of their sexual identity. due to the basis of national porting, according to the national incident base recording system -- different hate crime verification through the states. these figures are almost or -- a dramatic undercount. given this opportunity to address lawmakers my priority is to advise you and how best to reduce the frequency of such

events. in my limit time therefore i want to argue the best way to combat hate crime is to engage like other types of crime. hate based offenders are not specialists. the traditional criminal justice system is a effective way to create hate crime. many people, sadly, bear some analysts to others on the basis of their identity, including towards lgbtq people. the number that bear animus is almost certainly much larger than the number of people who will create a hate crime. this is, i submit, because bias motivated defending also requires the anti social tendencies and lack of self control which characterized criminal offenses in general. to commit hate crime, it is not enough to. hey one must also feel entitled to act out that hate on another individual. as a consequence it a little surprised he crime offenders are not, as i say, specialists. they tend to offend in non bias motivated individuals way. degree from the new york

colonel justice service captures this phenomenon. hate crime offenders very demographically from other offenders, they have similar more serious criminal histories across a variety of marriage. frequency across conviction and risk of arrest falling arraignment. the tragedy that is the highlight of today's meeting has no -- the club q shooter was previously arrested for making threats against their own mother -- that case was dismissed because the family declined uproar cooperate. have prosecutors succeeded in convincing that prosecutions of people might be alive today. i'll pass a law enforcement also failed to subject the shooter to colorado's red flag law. a risk they did not see posed to the community. saying hey defenders are like other offenders does not mean that hate crimes are not different than other crimes. bias motivated offending is uniquely toxic to the mutual tolerance that makes a free and

democratic society possible. americans have the freedom to disagree about issues that touch on matters of identity. such disagreement as possible, in no small part, because we refused to tolerate acting out of animus and violence. hating crime enhancement are proportional response to the egregiousness of this offense. what the proceeding does mean is the criminal justice system is a quick venue for reducing the frequency bias motivated offenses. this is particularly true as compared to approaches aim to compare hate crimes by educating against or otherwise reducing bias. to be sure reducing violence is a laudable goal, even if it remains an open question, how do we do so effectively. at the population level most people who hate will never convert to hate to a crime. meaning education reduces very little poor all are spent. . rather, the members of this committee want to convict calm a hate crime they should do so by supporting the criminal justice system.

but often police investigations, enter go to harry crime cases. put state and local prosecutors in special hey crime bureaus, including by coordinating information sharing and the challenging area of hay calm prosecution. increased federal hate crime penalties, and encourage the department of justice to pursue hate crime justice where local laws are insufficient. such as new york today, where the buffalo grocery shooter cannot be executed for his heinous effect, a situation that also applies in colorado. hate crimes against lgbtq people and otherwise are a serious issue and we must take them seriously. doing that means treating hate criminals like the criminals are. bringing the full power of the justice system to bear on them. thank you for your time. i welcome the committee's questions. >> thank you very much. thank you miss pocock you are now recognized for your testimony. >> thank you chairman maloney, ranking member comer, and the

members of this community. my name is jessie pocock, the ceo of inside out youth services where since 1990 we have built access, equity, empower with lgbtq i plus people. i believe my job is one of the most joyful and sadly necessary work that exists. inside out is the only lgbtq specific center in colorado springs. i don't know how many inside a alumni survive that night at club q. i know that there is at least one who did not. let me remind us all, this is not okay. this is not normal. we all want what is best for our youth. we want them to be healthy, to have opportunities to develop skills for meaningful and productive adulthood we want them to feel loved and included in their schools, on sports fields, in their places of warship, at work, in their homes. we want them to survive.

i would like to share the love and inclusion that we see in our community center daily. teens immediately welcome to you to make sure they are included. peer advisers refer struggling used to a trusted staff who support them. we see a culture of asking for help. spreading kindness, using our food bank and free therapist. we see dancing and dinners. guitar lessons, crochet, disney movies, dungeons and dragons. we see trust. the single most protective factor that exists for use. we see hope, our walls are decorated with statements like, someone is so proud of you. and, i understand that i don't understand, but i stand for you. outside of our center we see hate. a local school board member recently shared a meme that said, when you are transgender and your pregnant next to a picture of poop on an ultrasound screen. it is not okay that we expect

more maturity and compassion from our used than the public servants interested with their care. daily our staff sit with youth experiencing suicidal thoughts that are impacted by these types of harmful and inaccurate messages. it is not the fact that these use are lgbtq that puts them at risk. it is the way that our culture views them. their mental health impacted when politicians legislator weigh the rights. when they witness unmitigated hate speech on social media. this is not normal, this is not okay. these are kids! this is why, in addition to direct service, inside-out advocates alongside youth for inclusive policy. having one say space is not enough. lgbtq youth deserve a safe nation. scared. since the shooting at club q that were keep coming up for me. students are asking us to be more incognito. less obviously lgbtq.

they are scared they would be the next target. this is not okay. let me remind us, those at club q or those who fought and save lives. we have funded police departments here. we need police to enforce laws that prevent violence. here is the truth, politicians and pundits are spreading lies about anti-people. falsely in dangerously stating that lgbtq people are threats to children. this fourth rhetoric fuels hate and division, and it works. inside out community center is respected of the best practice model for youth development. locally, statewide, and nationally. we are not the predators. we are the ones saving the lives of those preyed on through hay in violence. i a ploy you, start legislating the real problems. commercialize bigotry, racism, hatred, and mass murder. even simpler, i implore you to treat us as humans. lgbtq people are humans that

have families who love, and tragically, who bleed. before you post on social media, think about the youth who read your words. words cannot harm. where it can spend compassion. where it can condemn those who speak and act out of hate. even if you don't understand, we need you to stand for us. my favorite note says, we noticed when you are gone, because we do. we notice who is gone. ashley paugh, daniel aston, kelly loving, raymond green vance. notice if your public service is in service to their lives or even service to the hate that contributed to their death. notice to the real criminals are. hold them accountable. notice he was gone. these young people deserve the very best of us. stand for them even if you don't understand. if you don't, come to our center in colorado springs. we have a community of brilliant young people who will

invite you in and help you learn. thank you. >> thank you very much. now, mr. wolf, you are now recognized. mr. wolf. >> thank you so much, chairman lonely, and the committee for having me today. being lgbtq in america in 2022 means looking over your shoulder before you hold hands with someone you love. and means watching your very humanity be litigated, day in and day out, on every cable news network and across every social media platform. it means wondering if today is the day that hate comes armed with a clinch fist, or worth, an ar-15. it means if wondering today bureau little size of normal, the thing you told yourself you didn't deserve, comes to an end. my day came on june 12th 2016. pulse nightclub was one of the first places i ever went where i didn't look over my shoulder. where i didn't stiffened my wrist or deep in my voice to

avoid detection. that night everything about pulse nightclub and normal. i went to the same bartender i always went to. order the same drinks i always ordered. as the night wound to a close, i stepped into the same bathroom i have been hundreds of times before. there's a poster on the wall with the painted faces a drag queens 90 well. there was a half empty cup teetering on the edge of the sink like my fall off. the water from the faucet was ice-cold that night. there were gunshots. and liz gunshots. the hair standing up on the back of my neck. the stench of blood, smoke, burning the inside of my nose. a nervous huddle against a wall. a girl trying desperately, so hard, not to scream! i could feel her trembling on the tiles underneath us. there was a sprint for the exit. all atop this bang, bang, bang,

from an assault weapon. a man filled with hate, and armed with a segue mc acts charged into paul's. in my city overland to, and lgbtq+ safe space and murdered 49 of those revolved. my best friends drew and juan took 19 of the over 110 rounds that man pumped into the club. i will never forget the thousand of disparate calls i played to drew. or his family's house broken screams when i had to tell them that their child would not be coming home. i can never unsee both of their lifeless bodies in cold hard cash goods. for years, cynical politicians and greedy grifters have joined forces with right-wing extremist to pour gasoline on anti lgbtq hysteria and

terrorize our community. my own governor, ron desantis, has trafficked in that bigotry to feed his insatiable political ambition and patel himself towards the white house. we have been smeared, defamed. hundreds of bills have been filed in order to erase us. powerful figures have insisted that the greatest threats this country face are a teacher with they them pronouns or someone in a wig reading redfish, blue fish. all along we warned that these short sighted political maneuvers would come with a human cost. they have continued anyway. even as queer kids told us that they were scared that life was getting less safe for them. even at hate violence have escalated. children's hospitals have faced mounting bomb threats. as armed protesters started showing up at pride festivals and branches. a donut shop in oklahoma was firebombed for daring to host a

drag show, even as five innocent people in colorado springs went into a space that was supposed to be safe with them and came out in body bags. the attacks have continued. we can be better than the. we have to be better than that. right wing extremism relies on this manufacture belief that it's poison is inevitable. resistance is hopeless. i contend taking stand is necessary. it is our duty -- we need to say, without apology, the people who endanger entire marginalized communities for social media content and fundraising fodder have no place in our politics. we need to hold accountable those who traffic in venomous bigotry to scorch the political points. we need to address how our session with easy access to guns takes dangerous hatred and makes it fatal. we need to say on equivocally, right here right now, that lgbtq lives matter.

the trans lives matter. in this country that is not up for debate! words have consequences. unbridled hay comes at a cost. our stolen loved ones are not a talking point. they are missing faces at birthday parties. empty seats at dinner tables. they paid the price for militarized hay in this country. it is high time that congress gets serious about the cost of anti lgbtq hatred. commit to honor those in its crosshairs with real action. the simple truth is this, we just want to live. is that so much to ask? the gentleman's time has expired. i think all of the panelists. an hour gonna myself for five minutes for questions. the violence that took place at club q follows years of long efforts by some state lawmakers to erase lgbtq+ people from

school curriculum, limit their access to health care, and undermined ability to fully participate in society. now, state lawmakers are not alone. there have been many actions here in congress pushing the same kind of draconian extremist policies. for example, more than 30 house republicans introduced their own version of florida's, don't say gay or trans law which would restrict federal funding for schools that insist on lgbtq i and those in their curriculum. how would a federal policy suppressing, even mentioning lgbtq plus i people in classrooms further undermine the ability of lgbtqi+ americans to live authentically in safely? miss robinson? >> thank you for the question. it is so critically important.

what we teach our kids matters. we are teaching a curriculum that not only shows them who our history is but what we can be in the future. what we value. who matters, who deserves dignity and respect. if we erase lgbtqi+ people from the curriculum, it raises a value in our lives. as brandon said, this is our opportunity to be better. we can do that. it starts with how we educate our children. i also want to be clear that when we allow these pieces of legislation to move forward that a race and dehumanize us. what it does is create a dangerous environment that does support and feed the seeds of hatred that exist in our world. it is not only dangerous, it is violent to our people. >> thank you miss pocock, well what a federal don't say gay or trans law mean for the federal lgbtq youth navigating their identity in communities across

the country, from your experience? >> you know, we worked really hard on a similar don't say gay bill that was being proposed in our state. the truth is, we all need mentors, examples that we can grow into and see ourselves in. when we need as a nation are hiding our faces, our experiences, or our contributions to this nation, it really impacts young people and their ability to see others like them. their ability to learn how we have contributed to this nation. more than that, it is erasure, and it hurts. our young people tell us that what they see, here, and feel when school board member, politicians, are advocating to erase them is that they feel like they don't belong. they feel like their public

schools are not for them. it is so critically important that we are always cheering these young people on. one real simple way to do that is to give them access to folks like me, and those of us on the panel who are lgbtq, and contributing incredible human beings in this world, they can be true. they just need us to support them and show us how. >> following the enactment of florida's don't say gay or trans law anti lgbtq i plus rhetoric on social media surged by more than 400%. astonishingly. dr. meyer, what is the relationship between this surge and anti-lgbtqi+ rhetoric and the kind of violence that took place at club q last month? >> i think, as was mentioned already in the panel, this kind of incitement encourages people

to an act what they think is righteous because of religious convictions, and other types of ideologies that are portrayed on social media. clearly, this is creating an environment where such pilots violence is seen as not only acceptable but, as i said, righteous and desirable. causing lgbtqi+ people a lot of harm, not just those who experience the violence but also everybody in the community who witnesses it. >> my time has expired but -- okay. i will come back at the end with more questions.

democrats, we have pushed for policies to protect and advance the health, safety, and rights of lgbtq plus people. by time is up, i will ask more questions in the second round. now two misses foxx. >> thank you very much, madam chair. mr. lehman, is crime increasing in america? >> it is hard to give a yes or no answer. i would say certain categories of crime, homicide, car theft, shootings, pretty uniform over the past three years. other categories of crime, possibly over the past year. comparing the baseline. certain cities it is dramatic across the board. so, broadly, yes. >> other particular parts of america that are seeing larger increases in crime? >> i think, in general, crime is boko haram in in large cities. i would debate the reason why. some of it is concentration of

population, but, yes. >> do you have an idea of why crime is increasing faster in these areas? >> i think there are a couple of factors. perhaps an easy answer, maybe you're looking for, i don't know if there are easy answers, certainly policy is not helping. some of these jurisdictions have reduced police capacity or have increased restrictions on policing. that doesn't help the problem. i think they're there longer term issue with the capacity or criminal justice system. since the early days of 2020, across the board, certainly in those areas policy is not helping. >> so, for years the committee of democrats have called for the defunding of the police. has that made for good policy? has that reduced crime? >> i will know that many jurisdictions have tried to defund the police and were unsuccessful because there is overwhelmingly unpopular. in the aggregate, certainly

jurisdictions that move forward with reducing police is experiencing a large majority in crime. one of the few findings we have this pretty overwhelming in the certainty is more cops to discuss rhyme. if you spend less on cops, you can expect around to go up. >> you just mentioned when policing budgets are cut, there seems to be an increase in crime. he say more cops, less crime. with police budgets cut, resulting in fewer officers patrolling the communities, i think we could say the areas become less safe. is that correct? >> certainly. >> in your ridings you mentioned that america streets are likely under policed. can you explain a little more of what you mean by that? >> certainly that draws on a couple of different references. one is good estimates of

americas police population ratio relative to other developed nations. we had to perform the rest of the o c e on this measure. another is for the amount of crime, the cost to the level of crime. below the socially off of all of a police. on the third one is under a variety of indicators, we have a lower police per capita ratio than we did in about 2008. before the great recession. which suggests to me that, given the rising, crime we i assume there is a connection between something you have written, fewer cops also means more police. can you explain that phenomenon? >> you mean the funding? >> it says conduct. maybe i mean misconduct. >> i would expect fewer cops

means more burden on the remaining cops, there's a fixed quantity of crime, fewer cops, more crime. there's a strong empirical relationship between stress, burden, overwork and the risk that use of force, police officer -- fewer cops puts more strain. >> how could congress help law enforcement personnel better fight crime? if there is a way other than putting more money in? >> first way is putting more money in. policeing in america is highly local. congress has 3 things it can do. they want to spend money. to is coordinate information sharing, encourage best practices. thing 3 is fix data and data sharing. the fbi's reporting is a mess.

it is a huge issue for getting things done. >> i yelled back. >> the chair recognizes the gentleman from ohio, miss brown. >> thank you. if i could start by thanking the chairwoman for holding this hearing and her tireless commitment to advancing civil rights for the lb gt q plus community. in her remarkable career and i want to say she will be missed. the topic that brings us here today, by the tragedy in colorado springs. political violence and hatred targeted at the lgbt q plus community is completely unacceptable and i want to thank the brave survivors for testifying today and sharing their stories.

this important hearing ensures that the lgbt q plus voices are being heard and that we are properly addressing the surge of anti-lgbt q plus anti-trans hate. i would like to start with miss hunt. why do you think anti-lgbt q hate has seen such a resurgence in the political climate in recent months? is it connected to the midterm election? is this a broader trend? >> it is unfortunately a trend we have seen over the past 6 years. trans people increasingly seen as an acceptable target. it began in 2016 with the introduction of hb 2, first of the major bathroom bills in north carolina, the first major piece of state legislation

directly targeting trans people and trans people's lives. that kicked off a trend, the increased selection of trans people in particular as an acceptable target for political attacks or trying to move the needle a little bit without any negative consequences. the dehumanizing rhetoric that fuels the wave of violence we are seeing is inflamed by the treatment of us as an acceptable target and that is a disturbing and unsettling trend as part of our political landscape. >> appreciate your candor and hope we recognize how the anti-lgbt q hate is being weapon iced by the extreme right for purposes other than to stoke fear and energize a backlash. with that, we have seen the

extreme right use its most powerful tool in an effort to spread the message of hate. how has right-wing media contributed to the rise of anti-lgbt q hate specifically against trans people and their ability to live lives as themselves? >> to tell you the truth i do not understand why transgender people have become such a target. in most jurisdictions they are a small minority of the people so a lot of the hate that has come this way i have to assume is an excuse as was mentioned already, maybe to serve some political purposes that seems to be a way to achieve by attacking transgender people.

the way that rhetoric has developed over the past few years has been concerning and some of the things i find disturbing is the way this rhetoric, they want to protect children from being sexualized. that very notion, talking about having gay parents or transgender people is completely wrong, anymore than if you talk about a person having a mother and father, the purpose of this rhetoric is to spread political violence. >> are you aware of the extreme right targeting anti-lgbt q messages at minority communities and the african-american community in particular?

>> of course homophobia and trans phobia are embedded in american culture and history as is racism and the two combined create an environment where attacking lgbt q people of color and especially transgender women of color are huge target. >> my time is expired, thank you, mister chairman. >> the gentleman yields back, the chair recognizes mister heise for five minutes. >> if i could take 30 seconds of personal privilege before i get started, this is my last full committee hearing of my congressional career and i want to say thank you to each of my colleagues. we had a lot of spirited debates over the years and it has been an honor to be part of this. i wish chairwoman maloney were still here. i want to wish her the best as she goes on from here and also,

soon to be chairman comeer as he takes the reins of this committee in the next congress. god bless each of you, it has been an honor to be here to serve with you and i thank you for giving me a little time to say that. we are hearing a lot about right-wing extremism and violence. violence of any type is a poison as is left-wing violence, the fuel that is thrown on the fire by left-wing media. this is not a 1-sided argument, it goes on both sides and needs to be dealt with on both sides. what happened at club q is a tragedy that should never happen in the united states and i do want to commend the brave actions of us army veteran richard fierro for his quick action that saved the lives of who knows how many other

additional individuals who were in harm's where but that said i think it is a shame that once again here we are in the committee, as the majority is heading out the door this committee's responsibility to deal with federal government oversight continues to be ignored. we are dealing with things that this committee has not dealt with in this country, inflation, energy, border, the afghanistan withdrawal and a host of other things this committee continues to ignore and i think that is a shame. today's hearing is an attempt to blame republicans for horrendous acts of violence and at the same time many of my colleagues ignore many words and deeds from members of their own party that have fueled hate

and violence, statements on anti-semitism, we have major democratic leaders who, quote, tell them, members of the trump administration that they are not welcome anymore anywhere, these comments should not be allowed either. the rise of hate crimes deeply concerns all of us, no question about this. it is a tragedy we need to deal with. the reality is we are all human beings, all created equal in the sight of god and we need to honor that. i have here an article, some of you may have heard this type of comment, it is just shocking, to hear this type of thing, but the comments saying you are all trash. i hate you and i wish you harm. some of you probably have heard that. those type of comments. this comment was not made to

the lb gt q community, comments directed to a group of christians. it is unacceptable. i would like to submit this article for the record if i could please. >> without objection. and just down the street last week some individuals were not allowed to enter a restaurant because of who they were. this was not the lgbt community once again. this was a group of christians, refused to be served in a restaurant because they were a group of christians. it is unacceptable. i would like to have the article submitted to the record please. >> without objection so ordered. >> you want to talk about hate, between may and october of this year over one hundred, within those few short months over one hundred pro-life organizations and churches were vandalized, attacked, smashed. 38 of them churches across the

country, firebomb smashed, vandalized, pro-abortion graffiti and threatening messages left. this kind of stuff to does not stop on both sides. i would like to submit this to the record if i could, mister chairman. >> without objection. >> we have the department of justice has come out admitting that they have raised investigations against pro-life individuals and pro-life organizations because they don't like it. submitted into the record. >> without objection. >> doesn't those churches that were vandalized and firebombed and so forth were by an organization that admitted they did so. to this day not a single arrest. we've got to deal with these types of issues across the

board and i urge my democratic colleagues to join us not only with what is happening here but the state coming against churches, against pro-life organizations, supreme court justices supporters of donald trump, all of this needs to be dealt with. it is systematic and highlights a moral and spiritual problem in this country. we need to admit this is not a 1-sided issue. it is on both sides of the aisle. thank you for indulging me, mr. chair. >> the chair recognizes the gentlewoman. >> thank you. i want to recognize chairwoman maloney. she could have had a hearing on anything in her last hearing and she made this a priority and i want to commend her on that. i want to start with the truth. i don't know if it was mr.

haynes who said this but it is about starting to live our truth. i want to start with my truth. one of the things i realize many of my colleagues ignore is 20% of all hate crimes are now motivated by lgbt q plus bigotry in our country. we continue to see report after report, the one report that even hearing in my own community, a teacher being targeted. not only at school board meetings but publicly through social media. displays of different kinds of solidarity targeted just because they want to make sure every child they are educating is seen and heard and that they feel safe. students and residents to continue to speak up in my community about the attempt to make it about books and all those things happening in our

backyard, it is incredibly important to realize what has happened, the to humanization that happens after those hearings. please note that many of my lgbt q plus neighbors who testified our target on social media, hate expressed, videos from twitter and other outlets and it is so hard because i watch as base testified and how they were shouted at. when i hear stories of what happened that pulse, horrific, awful to watch. a friend, a colleague guy because of who they are. i want to thank you because it takes so much bravery to come here because i know what is going to happen when you leave and that is the part that doesn't get discussed. when you leave your going to get thrown of course some love

and support from many folks but see your bravery as inspiring and are grateful for you but i know what also comes your way when you come and speak the truth here. one of the things i think one of them said, mr. anderson, living your truth but mister haynes said what are we doing to make lgbt q community unsafe in this chamber editor something i wish we did more of here but your experience, awful, traumatic experience at pulse, what does it really truly mean for the lgbt q plus community and their allies because that is something i want to talk about even more, not only our neighbors but folks that are standing, deciding silence is not an option, to wrap our arms around our lgbt q plus community that continue to be targeted.

>> thanks for recognizing how hard it is to do this day in and day out. a moment like pulse changes a community forever and it doesn't just change the people who were there, doesn't just change people who had to bury their children years too soon or the community that was targeted. it changes the entire community, central florida is not the same it was on june 11, 2016. our entire city of orlando has changed in part because we were forced to make a choice. terrorism is designed to terrorize people, that's the point. it is supposed to scare us back into the closet and challenge us to stop living authentically and so our city, our region faced a choice in the hours after the shooting and that choice was whether or not we were going to come to terrorism and hate, whether we were going to allow one of man armed with an assault weapon and hundreds of rounds of ammunition to shatter us or if we were going to stand more closely together. i was most inspired in the wake of pulse by watching people from both sides of the

political aisle come together to say that we could be better, that we can do more for lgbt q people in our community. i was inspired by faith leaders standing alongside lgbt q elected officials and saying we may not always agree but we can agree on the fact that people are deserving of dignity and respect. communities face a choice in that moment. i'm proud of my community for deciding we would be a different, more inclusive, safer, better community moving forward and that offers a blueprint for how this country moves forward in the wake of such violence. >> i want on my lgbt q plus neighbors to know because of you i believe our communities are better and more beautiful, thank you for your courageous testimony and you will always have an ally here. >> the gentle lady yelled back, the chair recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin for 5 minutes.

>> to say wonderful things about it. i'm glad we are having a hearing. this district is adjacent to the city of milwaukee which in the last three years has doubled the number of murders, i suppose just some people shooting through a crowd or whatever. i always felt there were 3 things causing milwaukee which used to be the safest in the country to become such a dangerous city and i think one, if you look -- the people who stood with black lives matter, was opposed to that and

secondly, more than the police defunding but police hatred where police have to be so careful about what they do and as a result become passive policeman, one of the reasons not just in milwaukee but around the world, around the country we see an increase in the number of murders. a distant one is open borders, i noticed last month, we broke the previous record for the number of got aways at the southern border, going to 73,000 and we have people turning themselves into border patrol asking for asylum, collecting people who are potentially dangerous. as the result i assume some of this hearing, we had 212 murders. i'm going to ask am i right you

each of those reasons for the huge increase in murders in this country and is there anything we can do to deal with these problems? >> locally the increase in homicides, the second thing you mentioned, the increase about police officers, you can call that a blue strike. the reality is police are less active than they used to be. lawmakers are forceful in restricting police activity, bands on chokehold, police chases, those policies. the breakdown is a long-standing problem. >> can you elaborate on that? >> the breakdown of the family is a long-standing problem. 40% of american children today

live out of wedlock. many children go through divorce. marriage grows rarer and rarer, fewer children have access to stability of a loving 2 parent household. regardless of sexuality of the parents. that almost certainly contributes -- >> give us some statistics. >> on which? >> they are wonderful, wonderful people out of all sorts of backgrounds which when i look at milwaukee, 2022, changing the family situation? >> i don't know the exact numbers but risks of criminality are higher, the individual, risk for depression

associated with the family breakdown. i think it is a long-standing problem. in spite of the decline of the family. >> i look at this guy in colorado springs who had a very difficult background, obviously a horrible person but the root cause of this stuff, how would you given that we have had this huge skyrocketing increase, how would you deal with that, give us some ideas how society can get that 210 murders in milwaukee back down to 40 or 50 which is still too high. >> we know the tools that work, it's not that hard, 21 is in consultation, the kind of offenses concentrated among violent offenders, people who

engage in cycles of violence. i have alluded to this several times, far fewer police officers per capita than we did before the great recession, something like 50 to 80,000 more police officers to get back up to capacity. that should be a top priority at all levels of government. >> it always bothers me when we talk about crime, people in your position take the easy path of more cops we should talk about more causes. >> the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes himself for 5 minutes of questions. i have the honor of representing the city of boston along with congresswoman presley and last month boston children's hospital, the most renowned pediatric hospital in

the country received its fifth bomb threat in the last 4 months. since august of this year the hospital has been subjected to an onslaught of online hate and harassment including vitriolic emails and death threats against clinicians and other staff at boston children's hospital. many of these attacks have been driven by anti-anti-lgbt q plus social media accounts and spewed hate and misinformation surrounding transgender care as detailed by hrc, the human rights campaign, harassment last month, harassment report released last month, the coordinated campaign against boston children's hospital is not isolated. following its review of multiple social media platforms it identified 24 different hospitals and providers across 21 states that have recently been subjected to direct online

attacks following misleading, inflammatory and harassing posts. ms. robinson can you please expand on the nature of these coordinated hate campaigns against hospitals and other medical providers and their relationship to actual threats against those individuals and institutions? >> this is a devastating reality we are living in right now where the people we go to to offer support to our kids are being attacked. i'm talking specifically about teachers in most cases and also providers we are talking about here in our reports show 24 hospitals and providers across 22 states were directly attacked online following harassing, inflammatory and misleading posts. the thing to really note here is there's a direct connection. hateful speech, extremist

rhetoric is connected to real-life violence. we are seeing it play out time and time again and we have to interrupt the cycle. >> and boston children's hospital, these online attacks and real-world threats continue to take a devastating toll on hospital staff, not to mention the impact it has on lgbt q individuals and their families and moms and dads. there has already been extreme stress, pandemic related pressures on these hospital staff. this trend has also affected patient care and safety. miss robinson. am i correct in stating many hospitals and providers removed online sources and websites in the wake of these attacks?

>> yes, you are correct. >> this includes numerous examples in their report of hateful social media posts in these harassment campaigns as underscored, although tweets and facebook posts cited remained live as of the date of writing. despite all of them being in violation of twitter policies and targeted harassment. miss ms. robinson, what steps do you think social media companies can take to address this online harassment and reduce the threat of real-world violence against lgbt q persons and also these institutions that are

trying to deliver healthcare to those individuals? >> it is urgent every social media company hold themselves accountable to community guidelines of behavior. people are being allowed to express views that are dangerous to the community, talking about brutal attacks, criminalizing our people, trying to make us seem like we are less than human. our first calls on social media companies to enact their own policies but also to hold the bad actors accountable. in places like florida where we saw a 400% increase in hate speech and rhetoric it was fueled by 10 people, 10 actors doing the majority of that. we have to hold them accountable. >> my time is expired. chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. keller for 5 minutes. >> i would like to thank the witnesses for being here today. i want to make the point that

any crime against any individual is unacceptable and should not be tolerated. america is a nation of law and order and as i mentioned to any form of violence and lawlessness in this country is not acceptable and those who perpetrate it must be held responsible under the full weight of the law. i often reminded president reagan who i thought was a great leader said something, we need to make sure we understand this, we must reject the idea that every time a law is broken, society is guilty, rather than the lawbreaker. time to restore the american precept that each individual is accountable for his actions. we need to hold people accountable when they break the law. it is undeniable the crime in major cities across the country is rising. according to the major city chiefs association homicide and aggravated assaults are up 50%,

36% respectively compared to 2019. this is an alarming trend that demands this committee's full attention so we need to focus on that rather than trying to divide crime and talk - whoever crime is committed against, we need to stand up, we love them, we are not going to tolerate them being treated poorly. but we should not be blaming one another, we should be blaming the people that commit these crimes. we should not politicize acts of evil. we need to be looking at this holistically as an american crime crisis. i heard your testimony. you had mentioned that some of the crimes that were committed that were discussed were committed by people that have

committed crimes previously. did i understand that correctly? >> yes, to draw figures that are available, in my testimony, among individuals arrested for hate crime in new york state, 52% had a prior conviction, 32% had prior felony conviction, 36% had an open case, pending case, 20% were rearrested within 6 months of release so the significant proportion of hate crime similar to the non-hate crime population have prior histories and a tendency towards criminal behavior. >> it is not just a matter, my question would be it is not just a matter of making sure law enforcement is sufficient and has the tools they need to keep communities safe but i look at the district attorneys and philadelphia in my home state of pennsylvania was we have a district attorney who

does not prosecute some of these crimes. what impact does that have when you have police officers enforcing the law and arresting the people perpetrating crime against citizens and then the district attorney does not prosecute them, they don't have sufficient bail, what does that do? >> i will talk about hate crime, there's an overlap between hate crime and petty crime in many jurisdictions. if i spray painted a swastika i can be arrested for hate crime charges and a prosecutor is committed to not charging misdemeanor or petty felony offenses. i suspect downstream of that behavior, more serious aggravated offending so that is indicative of one of the failures, risks associated with failing to charge petty crime. there's a lot of variation in what prosecutors do. some prosecutors have worked

really hard to prosecute hate crime as a major priority and i applaud them for that but in general, people commit small crimes and we want to stop them when they are small. >> if you take care of the little things the little things go away. if people know they will be held accountable for what they do and are responsible for their actions we won't see people doing things that harm other individuals. we need to be united in that message and stop making excuses. i heard - my parents were divorced when i was 12 years old, i went to live with my grandmother, we never used our family situation as an excuse because we live in america and in america it doesn't matter who you are or where you live or who you love, it matters that you can do great things. we need to go back to the quote from president reagan that i mentioned and restore that american preceptor people are accountable for their own

actions and we need to give law enforcement the tools they need and hold people that break the law accountable because i don't want to see anybody get hurt in america and if somebody is hurt the person that did it needs to be held accountable so it doesn't happen again. thank you and i yelled back. >> the judgment yields back, the chair recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts for 5 minutes. okay. we will try to pick up that later. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from illinois, miss kelly, for 5 minutes. >> thank you, mister chair. i too want to thank chairwoman maloney for all her work on this committee and wish her the best in her next chapter and to thank ranking could member high for the work he has done as he moves on to the next chapter.

you know, it is interesting being here today when yesterday we were celebrating because of the legislation that was passed and now we hear today talking about a topic that is so very sad and also talking about it on a day that twentysomething people were killed in newtown. around the issue of guns and i do agree with my colleague from wisconsin, talking about crime, we need to get to the root causes. we can -- i am a big gun violence prevention person and for the legislation, we can talk about the legislation but unless we do something around prevention and investing in all kinds of communities and all kinds of people and young people we are going to find ourselves in the same place so i want to thank all the

witnesses. lgbt q i plus people across this country have historically experienced health and economic inequities largely rooted in lawful discrimination against them, medical spending and employment, men have sex with men continue to face just, nation and healthcare settings because of stigma against hiv that has persisted for four decades, the stigma is damaging and humiliating. according to a 2,020 one study from the kaiser family foundation lgbt people more likely to report negative experiences with healthcare providers including being blamed for their own illnesses and negative health outcomes. analysis from the center for american progress shows almost 10% of lgbt q people report being turned away from healthcare facilities because of provider discomfort. can you explain how

dissemination prevents lgbt qi plus people leads to long-term negative health outcomes? >> thank you. as i presented in my written testimony, there has been research on the effect of discover nation on lgbt people recognized by both administrations, health and human services, the academy of sciences, this is not just me representing my research and what we have seen before i get to the effect of those attitudes, that violence, disrespect, bullying is a common experience for lgbt people. if i may, there has been an equivalency made in this hearing between as facts on

lgbt q people, and horrible attacks on christians or other people who are attacked violently but they are not equivalent, not to say that one is better or worse than the other but when you are attacking a group of people in the sense that is embedding and reverberating hatred and stigma that has been going on for decades, and as you said, part of the american system, you're creating damage above and beyond the attack the person experiences, bring back attacks they have experienced throughout their lives. being christian is not a stigmatized position in american society. it is very valued and that is a good thing but to be attacked

for being christian has a different nature. not that i am supporting any attack or any discrimination. what we have seen, these types of attacks, this kind of discrimination and bullying, they all have impact on lgbt people especially in mental health, depression, anxiety and high rates of suicide and suicide attempts that we see both in older generations and younger people. >> not to cut you off but time is expired. it is worse for people of color. >> as i mentioned. >> my time is running out. it is so wonderful to see you again. in chicago, i have a niece that belongs to the community and

i'm so glad it is out there, i am a big outlier, rashida tlaib said also we will always be here. thank you. >> appreciate that. >> the gentlewoman from new mexico is recognized for 5 minutes. >> thank you, madam chair and thank you, i wish you the best of luck, this is our last meeting together and thank you for your leadership. i also thank you for hosting this hearing. my deepest condolences to the first panel that was here in regards to the recent shooting in florida, the targeted attacks remind us of the cool reality that we live in a nation that now faces threats from evil people, it happens all the time. while i appreciate what doctor

meyer just said, i disagree because i think any attack on any group of people regardless if it is a religious group, as i point out there have been 280 murderers against law enforcement families, how does that differ from for instance religious group or lgbt q group? any evil attack on any group of people should be stopped in this country. there's no room for it and it is happening both sides of the aisle. i heard, we all have over the last hour or so, it is right wing, it is left-wing too. it is an ability for people in power to not stand up for what is right, moral values and what people of this country expect us to do. i will cite an example, it comes from both sides. after the shooting in colorado speaker pelosi, quote, right wing extremists target

transgender americans most fundamental rights and freedoms, where they are starting dangerous rhetoric from cable news desks or bullying schoolchildren from the halls of power ampag republicans are cruelly undermining the safety and well-being of our transgender community. that's not based on science, that's based on pushing the american people further apart and making everything more divisive because everyone on this side of the aisle who spoke today has truly said they hate to see this crime against any group of people in this country and when we offer condolences to those who suffered from a tragedy we were faced with searing criticism. the violent rhetoric translating into violent action is not merely a concept, it is a real reality and we could build this committee hearing for the rest of the year, the new committee, we could have

hearings against violence against judges, clubs, abortion clinics, hospitals, grocery stores, business owners, law enforcement because we have allowed the media and social media platforms to drive the narrative instead of having real conversations where we can come together and find solutions that protect all americans, every single american deserves to live in a country where they can live in a society that affords them every level of security. we cannot accept violence as an approach to solving problems we face each and every day or demonize each other as an excuse not to engage with those that we disagree with. i urge my colleagues to stop shifting the blame and instead work together to build an america that lives up to its promises of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness for everybody and i want to follow up on a question that came up,

i went to ask mr. lehman, we need to notice who the real predators are and hold them accountable. are we holding predators accountable? when crimes of hate are committed against any group of people? >> abstractly yes, not in every case. it is a wide variety of things. he could devote he can devote more time towards the swift prosecution of hate crimes. >> the hearing is important. at the end monday what we have to do, let everybody identify as americans first, then we can figure out the way to solve these problems but if we don't come together in a transparent manner and work to protect everybody including law enforcement and men and women

that stand in line and willing to stand up for our values than we are in more trouble than i thought and with that i yield back. >> the lady yields back, the gentle lady from the district of columbia, miss norton is recognized. >> thank you for this important hearing. let me note at the beginning the rights of lgbt q district of columbia residents are particularly at risk, what house republicans in the majority, republicans have consistently tried to overturn local laws protecting this community, the lgbt q i community, including trying to overturn the marriage equality law, blocking dc's domestic partner law and allowing religiously affiliated schools

in dc to discriminate against lgbt students. statehood is the only way to ensure dc's laws are not undemocratic we overturned. i'm proud, we have advanced critical legislation to protect and expand the rights of the lb gt community to live their own authentic lives. that is why, mister robinson, the house passed the equality act last year to codify protections for the lgbt community against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. i was the original co-sponsor of the equality act so my question for you, mr. robinson is how would the equality act and enshrine

protections for this community for lb gt qi plus individuals across the country? >> right now lgbt q plus people are living with a patchwork of protections across the country, there are 29 states that do not have nondiscrimination against our community laws in place so yes, we identify as full americans but america is not giving us all the rights that we deserve. passing that law in dc was creek land as our resident it was meaningful for me and my family. it is essential that we pass these types of laws all across the country and put the federal equality act in place. >> thank you, miss robinson. mr. wolf what does the equality act mean for the lb gt qi plus community and communities across the country? >> thank you for the question. as kelly said it is important because we are not afforded the same non-disconnection

protections other groups are. i say this as a person in the state of florida, one of the things we worked on, the civil rights organization, one of the things we've been working on for years is implementing comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for lgbt q people in our state so what does that mean? printing people from being denied housing for instance because we have a boyfriend, not a girlfriend, it means protecting lgbt q people from being fired from their jobs because they have a picture of their spouse on the desk. the equality act would in ways florida has refused to do would apply those non-disco nation protections across the country and i will expand a little bit to say that goes beyond the lb gt q community, there are other wire marginalized communities for the protection under the equality act and it goes beyond public accommodations and workforce that goes into credit and other things like that essentially saying lgbt q

people, like every other american deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and we deserve to be protected from discrimination. >> thank you, mr. wolf. miss peacock and jean, this committee favorably reported the lgbt q plus data inclusion act to the full house which passed historic legislation in commemoration, and the cosponsor of that bill. this bill would expand the collection of voluntary disclosed information regarding sexual orientation and help to ensure policymakers to make, better understand specific challenges this community faces so what kinds of specific challenges do the lgbt qi plus people who you serve in your

community face in the areas of healthcare, housing and education? >> thank you for asking that question. we see double, sometimes triple the rate of suicide risk, truancy, lack of care. i had 113-year-old show up at our center who was living on the streets because it was safer than home. a third of our young people experience homelessness so it is so important to track data so that, one, we know how well we are doing for these young people and 2 so we can prevent the things they are facing. >> thank you. >> the gentle lady's time is expired. mr. cloud is recognized. >> thank you, madam chair. and thank you for staying online. we haven't forgotten you are there. appreciate you being here. i was curious to get your

thoughts in the context of this conversation we are having today, what the role of the traditional nuclear family is in society today? >> thank you for having me. i recently had a surgery so i am not able to fly. i appreciate the opportunity to testify virtually. what i can tell you his research shows young people who are connected with trusted adults whether it be parents, one trusted adult reduces the risk of suicide by five times. the reality is family structure is important. we have family structures in which our children are taken care of, great health outcomes similar to others in different structured households but the truth is anyone can be a trusted adult and impact

outcomes for young people and that is why we are constantly educating the community to be the trusted adult for the young person no matter where you are, you could be a teacher, you could be a neighbor. if that young person trusts you they can come to you with a difficult problem they are facing and that will reduce their risks. >> do you believe parents have a right to be involved in discussions with their children in school? >> we have one hundred parents who participate in our programs to support their young people and inside out we believe that if parents want to show up as a partner in the success of their young people they will have healthier outcomes, so, for example -- young people -- >> to parents have a right to know is my question you q >> to parents have a right to know what? >> what a child is dealing with, for example if there is a

child or teenager in school questioning their identity or those sorts of things do parents have a right to know and to be involved in that discussion? >> it depends. we have young people who show up who are leaving unsafe, abusive homes. in that case we have to do what we can to make sure the young person is safe and protected. we are constantly filing reports of abuse and neglect because -- >> i understand, you are deflecting the question a little bit. i understand cases of abuse. there are laws to protect, schools are legally obligated to report cases of abuse, same for churches and the like but do parents have a right, should they be informed about what is going on? do they have a right to know what is going on in their kids lives? >> i think again, those of us

who are protecting and supporting young people are there and trusted with the information of things they are dealing with. in terms of parents rights to know at schools, here in colorado parents don't have the right which is a young person questioning their gender or sexuality, there are laws in place that say they have the right to process that with their trusted counselor. >> you do significant amount of your work with kids starting at age 13. what would be the age of consent in your mind? >> in our community the age of consent for mental health policy is 12 years old. we have laws that enable young people to connect with trusted adults who can support them. that is -- it prevents suicide. we serve young people at 13 because we know they come to us and we can prevent negative health outcomes for them. >> lately we've seen a lot of

people in news coming out the transitioning. could you speak to that phenomenon? what is that person going through? do they get it wrong? are they going through a period? is a fluke thing? >> i can't speak to an individual personal experience. somebody's gender is a really personal experience but i can speak to you -- a lot of trans folks, close friends, family members. if anyone the transitioning -- i don't think it is a real -- >> there is a number of cases in the news right now where this is happening and the concern for parents, we have all had awkward teen years where we question things, existence and a lot of things

and the question, kids making a permanent decision without the input of their parents, making irreversible decisions, that they can't have kids anymore and wish they could. i am curious how we would work to protect kids. i wish we had more time. >> the gentleman's time is expired. >> this is an important issue to get into but thank you for being here. >> the gentleman from maryland is recognized for 5 minutes. >> madam chair, thank you. i want to start by saluting you for your extraordinary and energetic leadership of the committee and your historic leadership as the first woman ever to be the chair of the oversight and reform committee and we will continue all major priorities with respect to the post office, fairness in

immigration process and of course the equal rights amendment which is close to your heart. thank you for everything you have done for us. i want to thank the witnesses for testifying about anti-lgbt q violence and incitement and condolences for the losses you suffered at the shooting last month which is close to our hearts. when you look at hostile treatment of minorities in america, you find a spectrum of negative actions that can begin with vilification, demonization, stereotyping and it can become statutory discrimination and stigmatization against a minority and it can culminate in violence. we have seen the most horrific

episodes of that kind of violence and some taking place in different parts of the world today. in recent years certain legislators sought to turn government into an instrument of hostility to and demonization of lgbt q people. 340 pieces of anti-lgbt q bills were introduced in legislatures across america this year, tripled the number introduced four years ago. 48 states bills aiming to ban discussion of the existence of gay people have been considered in 21 states. mr. wolf, as an lgbt q civil rights advocate in florida can you speak about how florida's don't say gay law affects you and what is the effect of these types of bills that seek to promote censorship or invisibility of entire

communities? >> thank you for the question. i want to start by acknowledging republicans in florida promised us the bill was narrow in scope, only focused on preventing young children from being sexualized or learning about sexual topics. although we told them the language of the bill was nothing like that and it had far broader reach than they were say they assured us there would be nothing to worry about. as a result, what have we seen? we have seen books being banned with lgbt q characters across the state, teachers being told to hide their family photos in their desks, we have seen school districts like miami-dade county refusing to recognize lgbt q history month saying it might violate the don't say gay or trans law. ..miami-dade county refusing to recognize lgbtq history month for instance. think that might violate the don't say gay or trans law. those are just some of the impacts. they're weighing most heavily on lgbtq families who fought really hard to see their loved

ones recognized and respected. it's weighing on teachers who are fleeing the profession. we have character assassination over the last couple of years and finally it is way most heavily on lgbtq dumb people. the trevor project tells us almost two-thirds of trans young people are experiencing poor or mental health outcomeson because of policies like house bill 1557 in florida. in short, the debate over the unity of lgbtq people is making life harder andus less safe for people especially in the state of florida. >> thank you for that comprehensive and alarming answer. ms. pocock, how do you think that banning references to lgbtq people in the classroom and school curriculum affects lgbtq youth? >> again this is a situation where we know that when you build an inclusive classroom you have young folks are more engaged, more likely to show up at school, so again the best

thing we can do is prevent negative outcomes by creating an inclusive classroom at inclusive church and inclusive home. that is hands down research shows the veryy best thing we cn do for young people. >> ms. hunt, how do extreme laws like alabama's law affect the health and safety of lgbtq youth? this is the one that, well, we've discussed it but how does it affect the mental and emotional health of kids in the classroom? >> when children are told that they're not part of society, they do have a role and the place in any part of their lives, whether it is being referenced in an classroom corporatist but it is going to become wethers receiving healthcare, whether it is just being part of their communities of whole, it teaches them they don't belong come thatoo they ae lesser than and that they are not as worthy as the classmates

and as their peers. that's of the message we should never be teaching to young children anywhere in this country. >> thank you very much and i yield back. >> the time of the gentleman has expired. thank you. we will nowwe hear from the gentleman from florida mr. donelson, you're now recognize for fiveda minutes. >> thank you, madam chair, and madam chair, is actually been a pleasure to serve with you. i know we have had disagreements in this committee but i think what the american people probably don't know is that we both had very cordial conversations whether it's in the committee room itself or in the chamber, the house chamber or in the hallways, and so with what over the next steps are in your life good luck, , god bles, and in no at this place will miss you. >> thank you very much. i am pleased to be able we're able to honor all your request for hearing. >> i appreciate that well. thank you so much. madam chair, i seem to be slotted in his hearing and is

kind of an appropriate time, obviously florida'sel been a toc of conversation. since i am current congressional member from florida i also served four years in florida's legislature. i figure i'm so what an expert on florida law and practices when it comes to the oversight committee. a couple things. one, my first legislative split session of the other one of those bills that actual allow for community input with respect to material being in the classrooms, books are being purchased by school districts. house bill 989 find nine and author of the legislation which is on by then governor rick scott. that legislation about for parents and taxpayers in the county to be able to bring objections to the local school board for booksle that were purchased in the classroom. for students to view. now understand at the time the critics saido is going to allow for banning of material. but the truth is, the merits of

the bill, the actual process of the bill because i was there when will making was done is that there is a systematic approach for every district to take in public comment about material that is going to be purchased by the school district. and the school district is the one that goes to the purchasing decision of said material. i guess my question for the panel is too think it is appropriate for the taxpayers and the county and the parent in the county to actually be at the table when materials are being purchased by the school district using t taxpayer money? >> quality florida stat to my stances within the committee involvement in education makes education better for young people and it's important that the entire community is engaged when were talking about what books would want onn shelves, things we want to be learning and classroom. the unfortunate part is that set happening in in the state of florida. an example palm beach county schools as result of the passage

of hb 1557 went around the community review process and universally banned by decree of the superintendent a whole host the books that it lgbtq characters in them, that were written by black authors, and the reason given was that it might be in violation of hb 1557. >> real quick on that. does the superintendent havee te authority, they are highh by the school district and the school district pays the body that spends o taxpayer money is responsible for dispensing education. is it the responsibility of the superintendent to examine d the true but should be in front of children? doesn't the superintendent have a responsibility to examine material and make the determination whether it is suitable for a child let's say who was eightth years old or ten years old? >> i would argue just contradicted yourself. >> i did not. >> they can be either the superintendent does it by decree or the community gets input. >> i would argue that the lot oftendent to do a

things by decree. not just in florida but across the country. but 989 989 the bill unspons for material is purchased before comes into the school district. once material is in the school district, yes, the superintendent and his or her assigned can go m through and systematically decide what material is allowed in the classroom or not. okay this is one thing i don't like about congressional and because he gets five minutes and there so much we could've gotten into. one of the reasons i'm sponsoring changes to house rules. that's another story for another day. i do want to, quick to the essence of hearing. the violence that has been exhibited because people from lgbtq community is a windows and it is obscene. and it should not be tolerated. we were actually in a somewhat similar hearing yesterday on a somewhat similar topic. when it comes to violence my thought processes do not change. we cannot tolerate any of that. at the same time the thing that we also have to be cognizant of is how we label the perpetrator

of said violence. because the narrative in our politics is that violence against black people violence against lgbtq people are somehow coming from white wing extremists. that is dialect that is happening in the string today. mr. wolf i remember when the polls shooting happened. i was in the legislation e time. was horrific then. the shooter in question is somebody who actually assigned themselves, subscribed himself isis pixel isis theoretical theological leanings. not a right winger. not a left winger. somebody that his views that are abhorrent here in the united states. i think we have to make sure i'm going over my time i apologize. you're good. but i think we have to make sure is we stand up against hate and violence but we do not at the same time cast dispersions on her fellow americans into

actually understand the motives of the individual assailant and deal with it properly. with that i get back. >> the gentleman just back. the gentleman from texas is now recognized. >> thank you, madam chair. i want to speak from the heart and be rather just authentic. listen, i was listening to the testimony earlier and what, we always fear as a child you would fear the bogeyman and the six arm lady and a closet and all these illogical fears that we have. but, unfortunately, there are folks that are on the wrong place in the wrong time with evil that lurks. mr. wolf you were one of those folks. in their ear it's horrific, as my colleague said. my heart goes out to you. what i want to avoid though is toof place blame on people that have different political philosophy because the vast majority, and a talking 99.999 9.999, just keep going, of americans don't want to anyone

and don't know anyone. so to place blame on an ideologically because i think is a earlier right-wing extremism, i caught that and i'm sorry because we were running in different hearings. do you fear, mr. wolf, left-wing extremists? >> i would say that based on the department of homeland security recent report that said domestic terror threats our focus right on communities like mine, that has driven fear around howid the rhetoric people use about lgbtq people may result in violent. >> so you don't, so you don't care left-wing extremism. >> was to have an example of a left-wing extremist engaging in anti-tranfifty did dino james t hoskinson? >> i don't. >> you don't been incidents whether multiple members of congress murdered or assassinate? are you aware of any? >> yes. >> i'm not aware of any multiple instances like that. i don't think it has happened,

fortune in history. we go down a a very dark tunns identical. it almost did occur a few years back james hoskinson shot steve scalise who is now the majority leader, will soon beit the majority leader in the next congress, and almost killed him. and was asked dino james hoskinson politicalil affiliations? he was a bernie sanders ackley. a big fan of bernie sanders. none of us blamed a bernie sanders for the shooting because he didn't do it. now there is rhetoric on the side that it could encourage very unstable people but the thingg is if steve scalise wasnt there, , because he had a detai, does he was i believe minority whip at. the time. yet security deal deal that ended up a limiting that threat and killing that man. had he notot b been there you ae probably looking at 15 to 20 republican members of congress who would've been murdered. he even s ask him to at a basebl practice in whatever he even

asked are you republicans? when they suggest that's when arrival came in and that's when the gun commit. you live person responsible was at man. no onepr else. i'm trying tohe be very careful about that because would you agree that this is something that a member of congress should say, talking about folks that we disagree with? there were several quotes, sorry, it's what happens when you go on multiple committee hearings run here. would you agree with this, if republicans said we got to stay on history and we've got to get more active and we've got to get more confrontational? we've got to make sure that they know we mean business. do you find that incendiary at all? >> i i think you were talking about peacefully protesting -- >> confrontational. getting in the face. there be unrest in the streets. do you think that could be incendiary at all? >> i don't know thehe context of what you're talking about.

>> arianna press in maxine waters democratic members of cogs of that. i don'tth want people to get in somebody's face painted confrontational. they can sorely disagree. we can disagree similarly, but the pulse nightclub shooting, was a perpetrated by a right-wing extremist? >> the pulse nightclub shooting was perpetrated by a man who pledged allegiance to isis. >> so the answer tote the crash would be no? >> i don't know what -- >> i don't think there are many isis members that are terrorists and also gopo voters are, in fact, i would venture to guess it doesn't exist on the planet. >> to clarify i didn't say gop voters. >> you said right-wing extremist picks a class about the evil individual that murdered 49 and wounded 53 probably give youou nightmares nightmares for the rest ofte your life, was night session was not a right-wing extremist. >> is that a question? >> yes.. >> i was a disturbing is about the structural and systemic issues that are escalating anti-lgbtq islands. >> we've got to be careful about

our language because we don't want to point fingers at anybody other than the people are actually perpetrating this evil and this criminal violence. we have a method of her dress in this country arere we are free o do so. that's why i've always condemn all political violence because there's no need for because we do have the right to protest. and i am very sorry about what you and those of the victims went through. it's horrific and i'm praying for you. >> the time of the gentleman has expired. the gentlewoman from missouri ms. bush is now recognized for fiveve minutes. >> yes. thank you, madam chair for conveying this important hearing. let me say to the witnesses thank you for your testimony. thank you for staying and sorry you have to listen to the white supremacy raises its ugly head. you know, about this hearing but we're here to fight it and so just want to make sure you know that. the rise of hate and violence -- >> madam chair, -- >> fondles a h surge of anti-lgq plus legislation driven by

republican state lawmakers including in my home state of missouri. the human rights campaign has found the republican state legislators have introduced and supported over 340 anti-queer and/or trans bills andat the the latestst legislative session, ad 25 extreme discriminatory bills of already been signed into law across this country. according to -- in 2020 the missouri statehouse introduced 23 pieces of anti-lgbtq plus legislation. they have repeatedly absolutely disgusting, filed library book bands come bands on doctor recommended care, student organization bands and sports fans. ms. robinson, could you tellfi s more about the. draconian measures state republicans have advanced that target the health, the safety and the rights of our

lgbtq+ community? >> it's a crisis that we are experiencing. we are trying to sum to be able to live freely, they couldn't hold as our true selves in every aspect of life and what we see is continued legislative attacks paired with extremist rhetoric. and when some of these bills are moving forward whether not they are enacted has a devastating effect on our community. looking at florida again, as a don't say gay or transpose molina state legislature we saw it paired with penitential social media campaign resulted in a 400% increase in anti-lgbtq+ hate and sores happening online. and majority of it was perpetuated by ten bad actors. this is a step we have to make sure we are interrupting and ending. this is what's creating a dangerous environment for our children, for kids and for families. >> thank you. hate drives these republican bills which in turn drive dangerous hate and violence toward our lgbtq+ community.

inic missouri, my state, we have seen multiple hate driven murders of our trends citizens in recent years. as part of miseries republicans obsessive attack a trance and gay rights they introduce legislation that would have criminalize parents and health services for providing care approved by the american academy of pediatrics. and other leading organizations. they even sought to turn bills into ballot initiatives to drum up further hate and have run for office on platforms grounded in anti-lgbtq+ hate. doctor meyer, what is the connection between the republican crusade to target the lgbtq+ community and the surge of hateful anti-lgbtq+ rhetoric online. >> thank you. yeah, i think that this rhetoric fuels, as i said before, what is already underlying american

culture and history. and to fan this hateful messages just encourages that actors. and i agree what was said here, there are bad actors but we also have to pay attention to the environment in which we live and the kind of environment either inhibit or a encourages hateful acts. so thank you. >> thank you. ms. hunt, let me turn to you. so. >> thank you. miss hunt, let me turn to you. how is america's transgender community disproportionately harmed by the extremism and the violence, the committee is examining today. particularly speaking about black and brown transgender women? >> one thing that we see repeatedly in the studies that

we've done on the trans population is that trans people are about on average 3 to 4 times as likely to experience almost any negative outcome that can expect in our society. be that unemployment, direct violence, negative experiences with the police. homelessness, discrimination in health care. anything along those lines. it tends to head trans people at 3 to 5 times as high as the national -- part of me 3 to 5 times as much as the national average. and what we see consistently through all of these numbers is that trans people of color particularly black trans women and indigenous trans women experience 3 to 5 times as high a negative result -- negative outcomes on all of those factors. >> thank you. the rise of anti cuellar and or trans extremism is a danger to our country our nation and. we must as swiftly and urgently to eliminated. thank you and i yield back. >> genovese time is expired. the gentleman --

ranking member from kentucky is now recognized for five minutes. >> thank you, madam chair. i'm not even gonna comment on what miss bush said. but i'll say this. crime is gonna be a top priority for the republicans. the -- on this committee in the next congress. and perhaps mitch bush can come give us some pointers on how she's reduce crime in st. louis. since she's been in congress and put our ideas are to further reduce crime in st. louis. st. louis has where the crime rates in america. so maybe she can come tell us how to secure the border. and give her expertise on crime moving forward because that's what the issue is in america. we have a crime rate that's at a control and we have to do better in america. mr. lee, vineyard has one to make the case that hate crime offenders are not specialists.

these criminals often have prior criminal offenses. can you explain how our current justice system is set up to handle biased based crimes? >> can you just clarify what specific -- abstractly, how bias create -- how responding to them currently? >> the law by a space crime or hate crime varies across jurisdiction, across the state. you'll observe for example there is a market increase in offenses against french under people reported the fbi since 2012. a lot of that just because prior to that, hate crime laws in the night states not incorporate transgender people. they still don't and some states. in most cases a bias motivated defense is -- hate crimes are enhancements to other offensive. they're charging enhancements. if i shoot somebody, i would get one sentence and if i shoot them in a way that is motivated by provably motivated by my beliefs about them or their

membership in a protected class, there can be higher sentence associated with it. does that answer the question? >> so let me ask you this question. the club q shooter had been previously arrested for making violent threats against their mother which ended in a standoff with the law enforcement. pretty serious. the case was dismissed due to the family's refusal to cooperate. you stated in your testimony that had prosecutor succeeded in soliciting the cooperation. five people might be alive today. how essential is it that prosecutors remain strong on crime and see these creases through? >> absolutely. prosecuting hate crimes is challenging. that component that i referred to earlier proving that somebody tobias motivation is hard. it's actually gotten easier in the absence of metoo history will write down their thoughts so much more. it's still very challenging. best practices are not widely understood. so i think it's important

particularly when prices that prosecutor silicate substantial resources to clearing the case. they're often abysmal clearance rates on hate crime. for simple, new york city, the bronx cleared fewer than 15% of hate crimes refer to it. it's a real challenge that we need to put more effort into it. >> this is obviously something madam chair i appreciate the hearing because crime is out of control against everyone. the lgbtq community, the jewish community, we've seen crime increases historically black colleges in universities. christian groups. we need to do better. this should be a topic of priority for the next congress. certainly we need to look at the prosecutors because we have especially in the speaker's home city of san francisco, prosecutors just for recall. i don't think anyone can

classify san francisco as a bastion of conservative voters. he was recalled for not prosecuting. and i think that people in america want prosecutors to do their job in hold criminals accountable, keep him off the streets. this is going to be a priority. we certainly want to focus on securing the border. we believe that's a problem when you look at the fentanyl and drug overdoses in america. we certainly want to fund our law enforcement. obviously, they're always gonna be bad actors in law enforcement as in every other profession. they need to be held accountable. we have to take crime seriously because that is the top issue. one of the top issues among the voters. especially in the last midterm election. madam chair i, look forward to working with this committee. addressing the issue of crime in the next congress. and i yield back.

>> the gentlelady from massachusetts, miss pressley, is now recognized for five minutes. >> thank, you madam chair. earlier today, we heard from survivors of the club q nightclub shooting in colorado springs and the pulse nightclub shooting in florida. i certainly look forward to a day where people do not have to relive their trauma in order to compel action. but i am grateful for the survivors who spoke today, thank you for turning the deep pain and trauma you've experienced into purpose. hearing his accounts today was heartbreaking and we know that your lives have been changed forever. in response to this tragedy, the fact that you've come here, displaying great dignity and poise in the midst of it all certainly makes this institution better. and we thank you. in stark contrast, we have republicans and state

legislatures across this country who continue to introduce and passed legislation undermining the rights of lgbtq people. despite clear evidence that these tactics caused violence and loss of life. certainly here in congress, we don't need to be reminded that hate speech leads to hateful violence. january six was certainly evidence of that. now, and my congressional district, health care providers have experienced threats and attacks that have disrupted their provisional medical care to the lgbtq community, who are already disproportionately facing barriers in accessing health care. dr. meyer, how do lgbtq+ individuals disproportionately experience health inequities? >> thank you. i think the challenge for lgbtq people in seeking health care is that providers are not qualified enough or not

knowledgeable enough. and this is particularly true for transgender individuals across the country. we report that, when they go to see a provider, often they're the ones who have to teach the provider about transgender care and give them resources to help them help the patient. i think that the other side of it is that lgbtq people also experience greater mental and physical health problems resulting from prejudice and discrimination. and therefore, need those services even more so. >> thank you, doctor meyer. and what we have seen is a policy violence in nearly half of the states in our country, which i've introduced 43 bills this year alone that would only deepen those an equities, particularly for transgender people, by restricting access

to care including for states that even acted partial or total bans. and they have blocked access to this important care nationally. why is this so vital for transgender people? >> thank you for shedding light on that. so, one of the things we see most often in trans peoples lives is a very high experience of negative mental health outcomes. people will have extremely high levels of severe depression, suicidal ideation. there are a lot of numbers that are floated around in social media spaces for years. sourced back to some of the surveys that we did ten, seven and 14 years ago, specifically on these subjects. one of the things that we found in subsequent studies done by several organizations, including the trevor project, is that just providing access to transition related medical care reduces the significant

negative mental health -- part of me, significant mental health outcomes for transgender youth by nearly two thirds. when we have a treatment that is just that effective in improving peoples lives, it is fundamental that we need to make sure that everybody who needs that care is able to access it. this is something a that can improve and is fully necessary for transgender people to be in society. >> thank you. absolutely, transgender people deserve to receive lifesaving cheddar firming health care and our officials should be able to provide without fear of being attacked. last, month i joined colleagues of sending a letter to the department of justice regarding violent anti-trans threats that have been made by providers of gender affirming care and the ways that online platforms are fueling this violence. i just want to close with mr. wolf, i believe it is important to center survivors and our discussion here. let me close with you. how have these threats impacted you and your fellow survivors personally? >> thank you.

first of all, it breaks my heart because it has resulted in further violence. it's really hard to have gone through something like pulse and have a desire to make the world a better place and to ensure that no community ever goes through it again, and that to turn around and see it recur. not just in colorado springs, but really around the country. i can say that it's been a very challenging time for people in orlando. it's a challenging time for survivors of violence against lgbtq people. and i also am grateful for this committee, i'm grateful for this hearing that we are shining a light on what i think is an urgent crisis in the country. >> the gentlelady's time has expired. now the gentlewoman from california, this porter, is recognized for five minutes. >> thank you very much. i want to start by acknowledging with gratitude everything that chair maloney has done for oversight. including, importantly, lifting a places of americans. whose needs, it has concerns, was lives, whose rights are

sometimes not recognized. she has long been a champion for doing that for women. but seeing her do that for americans across the country and across the demographics has meant a lot to me personally. i just wanted to take a few minutes, a few seconds, to say thank you very, much chair maloney, he will be greatly missed. i will continue to admire and be inspired by you as i work on oversight in the coming years. i want to start with miss robinson, if i could. your organization recently released a report analyzing the 500 most viewed, most influential tweets that identify lgbtq people as, so-called, groomers. that groomer narrative is an age-old lie to position lgbtq+ people as a threat to kids, what it does is denied him access to public spaces and stokes fear and could even stop

violence. miss robinson, according to it >> no. i mean, twitter along with facebook and many others have community guidelines. it's about holding users accountablee to those guidelines and. acknowledging that when we use phrases and words like groomers and pedophiles to describe people,e, individuals n our communities that are mothers,ke fathers, teachers, doctors, it is dangerous. it's got one purpose. it is to dehumanize us and make us feel likee we're not a part f this american society. it has real-life consequences. we are calling in social media companies to uphold their committee standards and also calling on any american that is seen this play out to hold ourselves and our community members accountable. we would not accept the center families, not in her schools. those no reason to accepted online. >> i think you're right and it's not, this allegation ofmi grooms and pedophiles it is alleging a person is criminal somehow and

engage in criminal acts because ofr their identity, , their sel orientation, the gender identity. this is clearly under twitter's content. yet you found hundreds of these posts on the platform. your team filed complaints about these post, correct? >> yes. >> and how often did twitter act to take down these posts which violated its own content policy? >> very rarely. >> from our calculation it looks like about 99% of your complaints basically acted on one or two of the hundred plus complaints you filed. instead of taking them down, twitter elevated them, allowing them to reach an approximate 72 million users. this is not just about what happens online. what happens online translates into real harm in people's lives. ms. pocock, you provide services

to a community that experienced a devastating lgbtq attack. could you provide examples of the link between speech online and attacks against providers like you? >> we know, really come online threats minute in addition to grade an atmosphere of bullyinge for young people, it also creates an atmosphere of delegitimizing our real professional trained work at inside out youth services. it's a critically important that we can continue doing the work we do. tell one quick story because it's beautiful. we have an online community center and it is moderated by peter advisors, and when asked how many issues of like fighting or contention do youun deal with on the discord server, and our young people tell it doesn't happen very often. so i've had to tell you that our young people arere figured out w to moderate platforms and positive productive ways. twitter, facebook, everybody

else can figure it out, too. >> absolutely. ms. robinson, your report notes that these radicalizing hosts, posts, theseomer of the post that attack lgbtq community are related to ask in real world. what happens online is often reflected what happens in the real world. after governor desantis of florida passed to so-called don't say gay bill, what trends did you observe online with regard to grooming and discourse purpose unfortunate weed saw a r hundred% increase on twitter, sort of hateful language, particularly calling a -- 400% -- calling it groomers and pedophiles. we know that whether not the bill moves into effect the lasting impact of that online bullying, a defining our communities in that way, it sticks, especially with our kids. >> my time has expired but want to say i'm proud to say gay.

i'm proud to stem with a gay commute and i'm proud you are all here today as part of our country and giving us testimony. i yield back, madam chair. >> the gentleman from rhode island, mr. cicilline. >> thank you. i want also thank you for holding is important hearing and for being such a strong champion for theca lgbtq+ community drop your entire public life. i want to begin by remind everyone who especially myin colleagues across the aisle a wh his hearing is about. it's entitled the rise of anti-lgbtq+ extremism and violence in the united states. and despite this hearing title, calling simple sides of the aisle have obsolete condemn the attack at club q and violence were broadly today's hearing. it's also telling that the republicans on this committee with one exception about ask any questionss about anti-lgbtq+

extremism and violence. said that only want to talk about crime broadly or hate crimes against other communities. i'm disappointed yet not surprised a few weeks after a killer murdered by people added lgbtq+ nightclub republicans on this committee could not bring themselves to discussd and take lgbtq+pl violence and its causes with her witnesses. commit is scared, terrified they will be attacked going to the doctor, going to night clubs, scared it will be attacked simple living as our authentic selves. unfortunately this fear is well grounded. the attack at club q is only the latest high-profile example of violence against our community. in 2021, 20% of all reported crimes were motivated by hate basal sexual orientation or gender identity. let me repeat that. despite thehe fact that lgbtq+ people make up roughly 70% of the population, 20% or more than one in five reported hate crimes last year were motivated by

sexual orientation or gender identityhl bias. my colleagues want to talk with anything but this violence and the rhetoric that is contributing to it. this violence is impacting both lgbtq+ people and her family try asking an instance into energy the record statements from the equality caucus transgender task forceim cochair about the few te thing the families have explained in the wake of anti-trans rhetoric and violent. >> without objection. >> no one should have to hear violence because of who they are or who the family members are but this violence is not happening in the back in. politicians at all levels of government are targeting opportunities spreading misinformation and looking to restrict ourur rights. republicans are happy to. discus search menu and are attacking our right. they're their cry nuthouse they oppose marriage equality,, when releasing statements attacking our community and press releases as a introduced new bills targeting our community.re but when it comes to actual discussing the violence against our community and its causes,

just a quick confirmation about what happened at club q and violence broadly, and nothing more. in my view this shameful. i'm going, going to begin ms. robinson, by thanking all the witnesses are today get ms. robinson as we near the end of this hearing is anything we have not covered yet related to anti-lgbtq+ extremism and violence that you like to share for the record? >> we can do something about this. we can ensure that social media companies uphold the the coy standards. weshth can pass the equality aco ensurere that lgbtq+ people actually don't have legalized discrimination happening to them in more than half of the states. we can as as a community step and say we wholeheartedly know matter what our priority affiliation isf repudiate and rebuke these horrendous attacks on our people. there is work to be done and especially on this ten year mark at sandy hook. we can do something toaf end ths epidemic of gun violence. we have to and we must.

>> thank you. mr. wolf, thank you so much for being here and for sharing your story. what message do you have two politicians were championing bills to limit the rights of the lgbtq+ plus community? >> thank you, grateful tog be here. my message is simple. words have consequences. somebody has to pay the price for unmitigated unbridled hatred, the kind off hatred we had seen on the rise across this country. we've heard a lot about accountability in the string and i'm glad we're talking about accountability. no one is asking for anyone but the shooter at club q to be on trial in colorado springs. but what we are saying is that people should be accountable for the things that come out of their mouth. when you're willing to traffic in cheap shops and bigotry against him our joyous community that is already seeing hate against it on the rise, already seeing violence rising across the country come when you willing to traffic and does things to score political points, you have to be accountable for what happens next. you have to hold yourself

accountable for the impacts of your words.e words really just consequences, unfortunately communities like might have felt them. we have to. do better than we ae today. >> thank you, and want to thank you, madam chair for allowing me to wait on to this hearing. and i think we now have to condemn the statements and the shredded but we sadly have members of the congress of the united states that are engaging in the use of some of this very inflammatory rhetoric against the lgbtq+ community and it needs to stop now. >> the time of the gentleman has expired. the gentleman from new york, mr. jones is now recognized. >> thank you, madam chair. i join the chorus of myy colleagues in's celebrating your tremendous service in thehe spotted over the past several decades and you're just stalwart championing opportunity, the lgbtq+ community so thank you forra that. as a set on the floor of the house during debate on the equality act, to grow up poor,

black and gait is to not see yourself anywhere. it is also to feel completely unseen assuming people around you and validate your very existence. growing up like many people in this room, i suspect i watched as straight politicians, many of them white, many of them men, used my basic human rights as a political footballec to further their careers. and now as the first openly gay black member in this body i'm even more familiar with the vile anti-lgbtq rhetoric that terrorizes our community and that somehow is even more harmful when it's aimed at people of color. let me also just say to amplify what representative porter had discussed previously, that i and people on my team of also reported twitter accounts that have hurled explicit, explicitly

homophobic insults at me in particular, and have received emails e-mails stating that they are not centered in violation of twitter's purported standards. so clearly do something amiss at twitter twitter but i think many of us have known that now for.ei the t few months, givenin the leadersp changes. many of us arere scared for our lives, and rightfully so. lgbtq americans know that gay bars and clubs are sanctuaries for our community to gather without fear of being judged, so before being who they are. many these spaces becomes second homes we can experience the full freedom to be ourselves. such was the case for me. in my first year of law school when i still closeted the gay bars of new york city would only place i could be my authentic self. so note -- no spaces help me come out and be the man, a congressman that he a.m. tod. i cannot imagine my journey to self acceptance and understanding without a decent

sanctuaries, which are now under assault. the horrific mass shootings at pulse nightclub and club q create fear among lgbtq americansde that day bars and clubs, these places of refuge for members of our community are no longer safe. these attacks alongside other acts, of violence against our community and the growing chorus of hate and disinformation against lgbtq people tell us that over the past few years this country has become a more dangerous place for us to live, unfortunately. even the system to provide services essential to the menta and physical well-being of members of our community are under attack. earlier this month a doctor affiliated with the national lgbtq+ health education center in boston face credible death threats for their role in providing gender affirming care to transgender youth. the following day the first unitarian universalist church in

columbus, ohio, was forced to cancel a family-friendly holiday themed drag queen storytelling event after far right extremist from thehe proud boys and the patriot front showed up to protest, armed with ar-15s,, dressed in military gear chanting farri right slogans and performing nazi salutes. when leaders across the country including sitting members of congress are peddling age-old hateful and false narratives about grooming and pedophilia, these are the types of people who show up in response. a recent human rights campaign report found a floristic of an acted at cisco mentor don't say gay law at the lgbtq misinformation search by over 400% on social media platforms. instead of condemning this deadly wave of misinformation and hate, members of this body have added fuel to the fire. and october of this year micah johnson of louisiana introduces

ownof don't say gay bill to amplify this hateful policy on a nationalar scale, and dozens of members of this body cosponsored legislation. shame on them. if enacted his heinous bill would among other things prohibit federally funded schools from fighting sex education library books to children under ten that included lgbtqg topics and in doing so s bill would send a message to lgbtq children in the most vulnerable stage of their lives that they are and other who's her existence society refuses to recognize. it is hard, and closing come to listen to the stories of club q and pulse nightclub survivors and not be in awe of their bravery and resilience. and so i thank you for your courage.in i'm curious our community is forced to live again and again with this pain that i'm optimistic about the future of this country with your leadership. >> thank you. the time of the gentleman has expired. votes have been called so i now

recognize the gentleman, vice chair gomez, you are recognized for five minutes. >> thank you, madam chair for calling this important hearing. and as we have known for far too long, words havee consequences, spatially when you're coming from our elected leaders. the rise of anti-lgbtq islands is linked with the rise of inflammatory rhetoric coming from the far right, especially since the election of former president trump. make no mistake, those on the far right who are spreading misinformation and hateful rhetoric are often the same individuals and groups who helped orchestrate and carry out the january 6th insurrection. just like in the aftermath of the 2020 election, extremists are intentionally manufacturing falsehoods about the lgbtqt community.y. they are attempting to stir violence and scare americans as

they pushed their radical agenda to roll backth the clock on civl rights. people look to their elected leaders a to tell them the trut. instead, republican candidates and politicians give these dangers lies a much larger platform. when violent extremists relay these liza paints a target on the backs of lgbtq communities and leads to real world violence. now, republican lawmakers across the country moving to make discrimination official government policy. this year alone we have seen more than 20 states introduce don't say gay bills aimed at the racing lgbtq history and culture from being taught, and denying lgbtq students the ability to be theirted and affirmed in education. but it's not just at the state level. in october 38 of my republican colleagues introduce federal legislation inspired by florida's don't say gay or trans

law which i would restrict fedel funding for schools and incorporate curriculum that recognizes and supports lgbtq students. ms. pocock, why is a federal don't say gay or trans bill so dangerous, particularly for lgbtq you, and how does it risk further undermining the health and safety of lgbtq young people? >> thank you. you know, the difficulty of a bill like it like a donl is that it erases us. it doesn't amplify pigeon people their mentors, teachers, congressmen, congresswomen who are similar to then. who are doing really incredible work for our country. it doesn't set the platform up for them to see themselves in the future. but it also minimizes the experience of the families, and

so really, again the best thing we can do for young people is see them, hear them, and recognize them. >> thank you. as somebody who has a sibling who is gay, i grew up back in a very conservative area in california back in the '80s, riverside, and not seeing individuals who have leadership positions or also just straight up discriminate against because they are lgbtq, gay or lesbian or non-binary or trans commit something i know had a a profd impact on him but also on myself. it's's something that made me question why things are the way they are, why somebody that i care about, somebody i love deeply is being punished for who they are.

and schools, often times when you don't get the information in your school, then you don't want to go to school. unfortunately, for variety of reasons by brother never finished high school buddy ended up going and getting his ged. he was smarter than i ever was or would be. he ended up going off to uc santa cruz and getting his degree and became a teacher, and educated. but it is some of those examples i think does make a difference here so thank you for mentioning that, doctor, because i think that's what we need to ensure. this is not the end of this discussion and this fight but we will keep pushing back on that rhetoric that i believe is so dangerous for the health of our young people but also just for our community is as a whole. with the remaining time i have i just want to congratulate

chairwoman maloney for a tenure here in congress, then also being a champion for women's rights, lgbtq writes, the disenfranchised, and ensuring we have a stronger democracy. with that i yield back. congratulations, madam chairwoman. >> thank you soo much. i now recognize myself. we areem experiencing a crisis, and i must say that the panelists, first i want to thank all of my colleagues that participated, but the panel was a particularly articulate informed one. you gave us a great deal to think about on a very difficult subject. this was put together very quickly by the health team and the domestic policy team. i particularly wantt to thank miles lichtman and daniel for next job puttingng this together there where very grateful, and all ofar your entire team will

continue working on these important issues at today's hearing is one of the final hearings of the 117th congress, examining one of the most pressing issues that our nation will face in the years to come, the rise of extremism and violence targeting lgbtqia+ people inn the united states. we heard from the brave survivors of violent attacks against the lgbtqi community, the night club in colorado springs and orlando, , and these stories were heartbreaking because they should not have to so brave. like every person who goes out to celebrate with their friends and their lovedbr ones, they deserve to be joyful and free and secure in our country. whilst today's hearing examines the challenges our society faces in ensuring lgbtqi people can

exist free from violence and bigotry, it also offered a vision for a more inspiring future, one where lgbtqi people have the freedom to live authentically and freely and safely. as our nation continues to grapple with the recent tragedy at club q, i hope that we in congress can look inward and find the courage to not only stand against this bigotry but to also take bold action to end it. we can do this by building on the progress of a past several months, which includes codifying protection for the same-sex marriages, and enacting the first common sense gun safety package in decades, package that followed this committee hearing examining the senseless violence that occurred in uvalde,

buffalo, and of the community is across the united states. but as we remember, as we remember the 20 children and the six educators who lost their lives at sandy hook years ago, we are reminded that much more needs to be done to stop senseless bloodshed. i applaud president biden for his action yesterday and sign the important bill on marriage equality. now, before i conclude i would like to enter into the record a number of statements the committee received ahead of today's hearings. these were submissions from myw colleagues congresswoman jayapal, congresswoman braxton, congresswoman newman, doctor meredith -- who provides critically needed care to younger patients who are transgender in new haven, connecticut. the whitman walker institute, and more than 40 lgbtqi plus

rights advocacy organizations, in support of gender affirming care. the national women's law center, the national education association, and the united states professional association for transgender health. there is a tremendous outpouring of support and interest in this hearing. we thank all of you very, very much. and with that i would like to conclude by saying that our panelists were remarkable. we thank you for your remarks, and i commend my colleagues. and without objection all members will have five legislative days within which to submit extraneous materials and to submit additional written questions for the witnesses to the chair, which will be forwarded to the witnesses. and we hope we will have your swift response. i ask her witnesses to please respond as probably as possible. and with that, the string is adjourned, and i am running to

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>> c-span is your unfiltered view of government. we are funded by these television companies and more including sparklight. >> the greatest town on earth is the place you call home. at sparklight it's our home and right now we're all facing our greatest challenge. that's why sparklight is working around the clock to keep you connected. we are doing our part so it's easier to do yours. >> sparklight supports c-span as a public service along with these of the tevision providers giving you a front-row seat to democracy. >> on monday the january 6th committee will hold its last meeting ahead of the wednesday release of the final report on the attack on the u.s. capitol. you can watch live at 1 p.m. eastern on c-span, c-span now, or online at c-span. be sure to watch all of the past hearings in the eirety any

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>> once again, live coverage here on c-span2. this morning, national security advisor jake sullivan is expected to outline the biden administration's policy agenda here in washington d.c. and we expect it to start in a couple of moments ap also watch free on the c-span now video app or online at c-span.org. should start in a moment. >> good morning, welcome and thanks to all of you who are here with us in