Montana criminal justice officials discuss hate crimes

ZOË BUCHLI

As Pride events take place in Missoula this weekend, members of state and local criminal justice and administrative personnel gathered on Friday to discuss how hate crimes in Montana are investigated and handled by law enforcement.

Anti-LGBTQ+ laws swept the nation during the last round of state legislative sessions, but hate against LGBTQ+ individuals in Montana is documented locally, too.

“We haven’t just had national and international incidents grounded in hate,” Montana U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said at the panel, hosted at the University of Montana’s Alexander Blewett III Law School. “We’ve experienced them right here, in Montana, as there’s been an increase in hateful rhetoric against historically marginalized groups, such as our LGBTQ+ community members.

“With the recently concluded Montana legislative session, new laws have targeted transgender youth and the drag communities.”

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