211 Bay Area has partnered with California Vs Hate, which is a non-emergency hate incident and hate crime reporting system to support individuals and communities targeted for hate. When a hate incident is called into 211, a call specialist will assess the caller’s safety, determine the need for emergency assistance, and provide connections to local resources for physical and mental health support. We are committed to making the Bay Area a more safe and inclusive place for all.
Defining Acts of Hate
What is a hate incident? A hostile expression or action that may be motivated by bias against another person’s actual or perceived identity(ies) and/or because that person is a part of a protected group. Perpetrators may be motivated by different discriminatory biases, including, but not limited to, bias on the basis of race, color, disability, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity. There are two main kinds of hate incidents – (1) acts of hate that are not crimes but violate civil rights laws, and (2) acts of hate that may not violate the law but still cause significant harm in a community.
What is a hate crime?
Under California law, a hate crime is a criminal act committed, in whole or in part, because of one or more of the following actual or perceived characteristics of the victim: disability, gender, gender identity, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation; or because of the person’s association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.