In a national 2003 report released by the FBI this month, hate crimes based on sexual orientation made up 17 percent of all hate crimes, with nearly half of those crimes taking place at schools or on college campuses.
Exactly 1,239 incidents were reported, which kept pace with 2002's numbers. Half of the hate crimes based on sexual orientation occurred at schools or on college campuses.
"Most [Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgendered and Queer] people don't feel 100 percent safe wherever we go," said elementary education junior and Act Out president Rhett Etherton. "I have seen a lot of verbal attacks and tons of [anti-gay] graffiti."
Last year, graffiti with phrases such as "Get AIDS here" were written in large red letters in the men's bathroom of the Farmer Education Building.
But business junior and member of the LGBTQ community Kyle Moynihan said he feels safe on ASU's campus.
"I don't feel threatened," he said. "I don't feel that I am ever around people who have a mob mentality that takes prejudice to discrimination."
Only one hate crime relating to sexual orientation was reported in Tempe last year, according to Tempe police, the first since 1999. None have been reported so far this year.
"A lot of it goes under-reported," Tempe police Sgt. Dan Masters said. "It's a challenge to label crimes because some victims do not wish to divulge certain information."
Masters also said many hate crimes go unreported because they cannot be labeled as hate crimes until the suspect gives a motive for the crime.
"Hate crimes happen on campus," Etherton said. "Act Out is working hard to prevent hate crimes through education."
But Etherton said hate crimes will never cease.
"We have a very strong LGBTQ Coalition," he said. "But there are still people who are very hateful on campus to LGBTQ students."
Students on campus who may feel threatened can report incidents on the LGBTQ coalition Web site.
Student groups such as Act Out and the LGBTQ Coalition also help by educating students and the community about the LGBTQ community.
Reach the reporter at jenna.eckenrode@asu.edu.
