Last month, I learned about incidents of anti-gay harassment on Warren Street. As a city official, I worked with our lawyer to draft the following resolution, as a reminder that New York State has Hate Crimes legislation. The City of Hudson’s Common Council unanimously passed the resolution in November 2024.
If you are a victim of a hate crime, please contact our local police and/or call 844-NO-2-HATE or visit: https://dhr.ny.gov/nohate
If you were not able to make it to the Queer Holiday Market last weekend, here are some pics.
A RESOLUTION DENOUNCING HATE CRIMES AND HATE INCIDENTS IN THE CITY OF HUDSON
WHEREAS, incidents of hate crimes, which involve acts and speech motivated by a victim’s race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion or other protected characteristic, in New York State have been increasing over the last five years with a increase of 12.7 percent reported in 2023 alone and a 69% increase since 2019; and
WHEREAS, between 2018 and 2023, anti-Gay Male incidents rose by 141% with hate crimes against Transgender New Yorkers rising by 140%, and hate crimes against Jewish and Muslim New Yorkers rose by 89% and 106% respectively; and
WHEREAS, the number of anti-Asian incidents remains 11 times higher than those reported in 2019 with hate crimes motivated by race, ethnicity, and ancestry compromising 52.5% of all hate crime incidents nationally in 2023, and
WHEREAS, between 2018 and 2022 the number of hate crimes involving serious assault increased from by 122% across the State of New York with simple assaults increasing by 139% and property damage incidents accounting for 45% of hate crimes in 2022; and
WHEREAS, many more nonviolent hate incidents go unreported by victims to law enforcement
and by law enforcement to the State Division of Criminal Justice; and
WHEREAS, City of Hudson businesses have reported an increase in hate speech and incidents; and
WHEREAS, the dramatic increase in hate crimes and hate incidents endangers public safety, undermines the welfare of marginalized communities, and threatens to reverse our progress on social and race relations; and
WHEREAS, in response to the increase in hate crimes and hate incidents New York State launched a new hotline (844-NO-2-HATE) and website (https://dhr.ny.gov/nohate) to report hate crime incidents
WHEREAS, hate has no place in the City of Hudson, where we honor, respect, and celebrate the
City’s diversity; and
WHEREAS, community outreach and public education campaigns on what constitutes a hate crime or hate incident, how to report and respond to same, along with the strengthening of law enforcement response to hate crime are essential components of address the epidemic of hate;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council for the City of Hudson denounces hate crimes, hate incidents, hate speech, and hateful rhetoric directed against individuals on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, national origin, age, disability, and immigration status and will not tolerate such acts against local business and within its diverse community.
