Disability, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation: An Intersectional Analysis Assessing Perceived Threat of Hate Crimes.

The article investigates how disability intersects with gender identity and sexual orientation to influence the perceived threat of hate crimes. Using a purposive sample of 1,824 adults recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, the study finds that individuals with a disability report greater perceived threat of hate crimes, which intensifies when disability co-occurs with gender and sexual minority identities. Specifically, transgender individuals with a disability exhibit the highest perceived threat, followed by sexual minorities with a disability, across anti-disability, anti-gender/gender identity, and anti-sexual orientation hate crimes. The findings underscore the importance of an intersectional framework in understanding and addressing the compounded vulnerabilities and psychological impacts faced by multiply marginalized groups, advocating for inclusive hate crime policies and multiagency responses tailored to these intersecting identities.