The aim of this paper is to conceptualize contemporary forms of violence against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Central and East European countries and to analyse problems with countering this violence. It describes methodological problems connected with the research. The main research question is “How structural violence determines direct group and individual violence against the LGBT community in this area”. This violence represents a significant threat to the LGBT people in many countries in this area, because it is carried out by strong right-wing extremist movements and it has political cover in established political circles and structural roots in post-communist societies (in which authoritarian politics, anti-modernism and intolerance play an important role). The first part of the paper classifies the main forms of direct personal violence (attacks against the LGBT parades, against clubs of the LGBT community, situational violence etc.) and its perpetrators (organized neo-Nazi groupings, dogmatic Christian activists, hooligan gangs, policemen etc.). The second part of the paper analyses the roots of this violence and its political consequences, including the role of national and local authorities that support the anti-LGBT policy and the non-activity of the police against these phenomena. The third part explains the methodological problem of data relevance related to these issues. The results of empirical research of the victims of hate crime from the LGBT community are described and compared with official statistics. The own experience of the interviewers with the victims is presented. The final part includes a comprehensive assessment of this threat in Central and Eastern Europe.
