Youth's Lives Every Day
As the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, our job is to ensure every LGBTQ+ young person has access to safe and affirming spaces in every aspect of their daily lives, especially if they experience a crisis.
To every young person out there who is wondering if the outcome of November’s election impacts whether they can live the lives they were born to live, Trevor is here for you.
Trevor’s mission is about people, not politics. Our commitment will never change – no matter who occupies the White House. We will work with anyone, including elected and government leaders, who share our goal of ending LGBTQ+ youth suicide, regardless of their political party.
During this election cycle, nearly $215 million in television advertisements targeting the transgender community flooded airwaves across the country. It is no wonder that in the 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People, the majority (90%) of LGBTQ+ young people reported that their wellbeing was negatively impacted due to recent politics. For example, the day after the election, The Trevor Project’s crisis services saw an overall volume increase of nearly 700%, compared to the weeks prior, with 40% of those contacts coming from transgender and nonbinary youth.
That is why the 988 Suicide and Crisis Line is so important right now. Thankfully, this federally-funded, lifeserving service has received strong bipartisan support from its beginning. For example, the incoming Administration signed legislation enhancing 988 and creating 988 LGBTQ+ youth specialized services. In addition, Congress is filled with bipartisan champions for 988, including incoming Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine). We look forward to working with all elected officials who believe that LGBTQ+ youth mental health should be an opportunity for bipartisan agreement and support.
Federal Elections
Despite the ads hostile to transgender people, important LGBTQ+ champions were re-elected on Election Night. For example, Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin, a key architect of important policies like 988 LGBTQ+ youth specialized services, the codification of federal and interstate recognition of LGBTQ+ marriage equality, and protections against domestic violence, won reelection despite millions of dollars of anti-LGBTQ+ attacks.
Similarly, the newly-elected House of Representatives includes newly elected and re-elected bipartisan champions for LGBTQ+ issues. The House also saw historic representational victories, expanding the Congressional Equality Caucus to its largest membership ever through the election of both the first openly LGBTQ+ Latina in Rep.-Elect Emily Randall of Washington state and the first openly transgender Member of Congress with our strong ally, Rep.-Elect Sarah McBride of Delaware.
State Elections
State elections play a critical role in determining how successful LGBTQ+ advocates and lawmakers will be in advancing state protections for LGBTQ+ young people. A recent study by The Trevor Project published in Nature Human Behaviour found that anti-transgender state-level laws directly cause up to a 72% increase in suicide attempts among transgender and nonbinary young people, underscoring the urgent need for our elected state officials to advance initiatives to make our communities safer and more affirming for LGBTQ+ young people.
Notable shifts took place nationwide during this month’s election, including a few states with new opportunities to protect LGBTQ+ youth legislatively. In addition, 37 state legislatures will include LGBTQ elected officials this year, including several historic firsts. That includes three state legislatures — those of Hawaii, Iowa and Missouri — which will welcome their first out transgender members. These representational victories are important not only because they allow all elected officials to better familiarize themselves with LGBTQ+ issues through their out colleagues, but also because we know that being able to see themselves represented in their elected officials gives young LGBTQ+ people hope.
Finally, California, Colorado, and Hawaii all passed ballot initiatives adding protections for marriage equality at the state level. The successful initiatives amended each state constitution to repeal language that defined marriage as between one man and one woman or “opposite sex couples.” While the 2015 Supreme Court ruling Obergefell v. Hodges legalized marriage equality nationwide, these measures will safeguard marriage equality for generations to come.
Looking Ahead: 2025 State Legislative Sessions and Federal Initiatives
The Trevor Project’s mission remains the same for 2025 and years to come: to end suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning young people. To achieve this, The Trevor Project will continue to advocate for key initiatives at the state and federal level that will make our schools, communities, and country a place where LGBTQ+ young people feel safe, seen, and accepted exactly as they are.
Beginning in January, state legislatures will begin considering new legislation that has the potential to either advance affirming policies and spaces for LGBTQ+ young people or further discriminatory requirements. The Trevor Project will advocate for policies that safeguard access to medical care for transgender young people, ban the discredited practice of conversion “therapy,” and ensure LGBTQ+ young people nationwide can access TrevorSpace and our lifesaving services.
At the federal level, after the new President and Congress are sworn in, the first order of business will likely be to fund the federal government for the remainder of the fiscal year, including vital funding for 988, and start the process for funding the government for the next fiscal year by releasing a proposed budget. The Trevor Project will continue to advocate for increased funding for 988 LGBTQ+ youth specialized services and vital protections for LGBTQ+ young people, applauding leaders when they deliver and raising the alarm when they threaten the mental health of LGBTQ+ young people.
Whether at the local, state, or federal level, the most important tool in Trevor’s Advocacy Toolbox is YOU, our strong allies for LGBTQ+ young people. Your voice, and the voices of those who support you, remains incredibly powerful in the months and years ahead.
Text TREVOR to 50457 to become a Trevor Advocate and receive action alerts for your region.
