Youth's Lives Every Day
November 14, 2022 — The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people, announced its support for the Respect for Marriage Act, which would require the federal government to recognize the validity of same-sex and interracial marriages in the U.S.
Kasey Suffredini (he/him), Vice President of Advocacy and Government Affairs at The Trevor Project, released the following statement:
“LGBTQ young people deserve to grow up in a safe, affirming world where they can envision a bright future for themselves and love who they love with equal rights and protection under the law. Passing the Respect for Marriage Act is an important step to protect marriage equality — and history shows that it could have a positive impact on the mental health of LGBTQ young people, who have faced relentless political attacks over the last year. A 2017 study found that the implementation of marriage equality laws was associated with a reduction in the proportion of lesbian, gay, and bisexual high school students reporting suicide attempts.
“We urge the Senate to pass this bipartisan bill as soon as possible. It’s also past time for the Senate to codify federal nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people across the country by passing the Equality Act.”
Research from The Trevor Project:
- According to our 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth.
- However, LGBTQ youth who lived in an accepting community, had access to LGBTQ-affirming spaces, and/or felt high social support from family and friends reported significantly lower rates of attempting suicide in the past year.
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