School hate crimes targeting LGBTQ+ people have sharply risen in recent years, climbing fastest in states that have passed laws restricting LGBTQ student rights and education, a Washington Post analysis of FBI data finds.
In states with restrictive laws, the number of hate crimes on K-12 campuses has more than quadrupled since the onset of a divisive culture war that has often centered on the rights of LGBTQ+ youth.
this tracks with authoritarian psychology. when you give official permission to attack a group, authoritarians go on the offensive. these hate bills signal that queer teens are greenlit. the people who pass them are child abusers