Key factor missing in list for top places for LGBT seniors to retire
Feb 28, 2018, 10:56 AM
(KIRO 7)
(KIRO 7)
Seattle made on a list for the top 20 cities in America for LGBT seniors to retire. But the housing referral service that compiled the list left out a critical factor — crime.
Gang-related crime is on the rise in Everett
For this year’s list, SeniorAdvice.com factored in the percentage of LGBT population (Q wasn’t included), social activities, festivals, weather, LGBT chamber of commerce presence, senior communities, healthcare, hospitals and pharmacies, legislation protecting the LGBT community, and cost of living. What it left out was bias and hate crime.
According to data from the Seattle Police Department, 118 instances of biased crime against the LGBTQ community alone was reported last year. That was up from the 78 reported in 2016, when the number of hate crimes increased across the country.
The Seattle Times reported in 2017 the number of reported hate crimes in general were on the rise in the city. Based on the first six months of last year, the police department recorded 178 incidents. The groups most frequently targeted were blacks, gays and lesbians, and Jewish people, the Times reported.
In spring of last year, the city created a discriminatory harassment hotline.
This isn’t to say that Seattle isn’t LGBTQ friendly, though. Visit Seattle has an entire section dedicated to LGBTQ events, including Pridefest, nightlife, and Capitol Hill as a whole.
