by Dan Quinn

About the author: Dan Quinn is a writer for the Advocate, a national gay and lesbian newsmagazine.

As gay men and lesbians prepare to take part in annual gay pride events, antiviolence activists are bracing for another annual occurrence: a spike in antigay hate crimes. The phenomenon is, sadly, easy to predict, the activists say.

“Often it’s very pronounced and very direct,” says Tracey Conaty, field organizer for the Washington D.C.–based National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. “As soon as visibility increases, so does the violence.”

Gay Pride

Part of the reason for high rates of antigay hate crimes in June, when many cities traditionally celebrate gay pride, is that the summer months draw more people outside, increasing the potential pool of crime...