After this month’s staggering news of two high profile murders – both involving gay teenagers, both both likely the result of bias against the victims’ sexuality – the FBI released a report this week detailing an 11 percent increase in the victims of hate crimes based on sexual orientation in 2008.

The report shows that this is the third year in a row for an increase in violence against the gay, lesbian, bi and trans community. Human Rights Campaign President Joe Slomonese responded to the report thusly:

“These numbers are unacceptable. While it is so important that we have the new federal hate crimes law, it is critical to ensure that we continue working with the Department of Justice to ensure the safety of LGBT citizens,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “We have to prosecute each hate crime to the fullest extent of the law, but we also need to get at the roots. When we don’t know each other as human beings, ignorance breeds misunderstanding, which breeds hate, which too often this year led to violence. We have to keep fighting the prejudices and stereotypes that underlie these acts.”

The report also detailed a 9 percent increase in hate crimes based on religion, with an overall increase of hate crimes of any kind jumping 2 percent from 2007 to 2008.

The FBI report shows 7,783 hate crimes voluntarily reported to the agency by participating law enforcement agencies, involving a total of 9,691 victims. A majority (58 percent) of the 1,706 victims targeted for their sexual orientation were gay men.

Roughly a third of the cases were physical attacks, another third were intimidation and the remaining third were vandalism or property damage.

The FBI cautioned that year-to-year comparisons are difficult due to the change in the number of law enforcement agencies which chose to participate. The number of participating agencies rose by 449, or 3.4 percent, versus the prior year.

Said Jason Marsden, executive director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation:

“While it is important to respect the cautions voiced by statistical analysts, the continuing, steady emergence of extremely violent anti-LGBT hate crimes in recent weeks also argues in favor of taking the increase seriously and redoubling prevention efforts.

“Coming just weeks after President Obama signed new, LGBT-inclusive hate crimes provisions, the rise in reported hate crimes against the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community is sobering, whether due to increased reporting or increased frequency of the crimes, or both,” Marsden said. “We all must do more to send the message that these attacks are unacceptable.”