85% of transgender and nonbinary youth say that recent debates around anti-trans bills have negatively impacted their mental health.
February 16, 2022 — The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people, condemned the Alabama House Education Policy Committee for passing HB 322, which would restrict transgender students from using bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity.
“Alabama lawmakers’ efforts to deny transgender youth the simple act of using the bathroom that matches their gender identity helps absolutely no one. But it does cause real harm. Policies like this one impact the mental and physical health of trans and nonbinary youth, and make matters worse for this group that already experiences disproportionate rates of suicide risk and other mental health challenges,” said Sam Ames (they/them), Director of Advocacy and Government Affairs at The Trevor Project. “A 2020 study by The Trevor Project’s researchers found transgender and nonbinary youth who experienced bathroom discrimination had more than 1.5 times the odds of attempting suicide in the past year compared to those who did not. This bill is not only unnecessary, it’s dangerous.”
According to The Trevor Project’s 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, more than half (52%) of transgender and nonbinary youth seriously considered suicide in the past year, and 1 in 5 attempted suicide. Further, a recent poll, conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of The Trevor Project, found that 85% of transgender and nonbinary youth say recent debates about state laws restricting the rights of transgender people have negatively impacted their mental health.
However, research also shows that transgender and nonbinary youth who have access to gender-affirming spaces report lower rates of attempting suicide. A 2021 peer-reviewed study by The Trevor Project’s researchers, published in Transgender Health, also found that transgender and nonbinary youth who reported gender identity acceptance from adults and peers had significantly lower odds of attempting suicide in the past year.
If you or someone you know needs help or support, The Trevor Project’s trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help, or by texting START to 678678.
About The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people. The Trevor Project offers a suite of 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention programs, including TrevorLifeline, TrevorText, and TrevorChat as well as the world’s largest safe space social networking site for LGBTQ youth, TrevorSpace. Trevor also operates an education program with resources for youth-serving adults and organizations, an advocacy department fighting for pro-LGBTQ legislation and against anti-LGBTQ rhetoric/policy positions, and a research team to discover the most effective means to help young LGBTQ people in crisis and end suicide.
