Bias and hate crimes impact colleges and universities across the United States and are the third most likely place for hate crimes to occur. The way to prevent hate crimes is by having systems in place for students to report bias and harassment as well as trained professionals to educate the campus community. Stop The Hate (http://www.stophate.org), an educational initiative of Campus Pride, has trained nearly 1200 students, faculty and staff over the last eight years on bias and hate crime prevention at colleges and universities.

Stop The Hate National Program Coordinator Greg Miraglia and myself, just finished yesterday the annual West Coast Stop The Hate Training at Napa Valley College in Napa, CA. Not only was it a beautiful trip through San Francisco getting there, but also an excellent college committed to diversity in all its forms. The training was actually hosted in the Police Academy where we had in attendance seventeen students, faculty and staff from across the country. Each of the new trainers will serve as active, visible resource advocates and implement a series of six anti-hate crime prevention efforts over the next year.

Every time I participate in a Stop The Hate Training, I leave with new hope and a sense of activism that we have made a real difference. Each training creates Stop The Hate teams to help fight bias and hate crimes at another college or university. But, the truth is that we need more.

With the recent report of a University of Virginia hate crime last week, where five young men assaulted two gay college students, I know for a fact that the work we are doing is essential. The fact is that hate happens on campus in many forms. Let us work together to Stop The Hate today and every day!