California will track violent deaths of LGBTQ+ people in nationwide first

Advocacy groups hail huge victory' as state becomes first in US to gather data on disproportionate harm

California will become the first state in the US to track the violent deaths of LGBTQ+ people, a move that advocacy groups are hailing as a huge victory" and a critical tool in understanding disproportionate rates of violence against the LGBTQ+ community.

Governor Gavin Newsom, fresh off his victory in the recent recall election, signed a bill into law that will establish a three-year pilot program in as many as six counties to collect information about gender identity and sexual orientation in cases of violent deaths, which include suicides and homicides.