Youth's Lives Every Day
91% of transgender and nonbinary youth said that they have worried about transgender people being denied access to the bathroom due to state or local laws
May 19, 2022 — The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people, condemned the passage of SB615, which would restrict transgender students from using bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity. The bill is now headed to the governor’s desk.
A 2020 peer-reviewed study by The Trevor Project’s researchers, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, found that 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 experience bathroom discrimination.
“Oklahoma lawmakers’ efforts to police students’ bathroom usage is government overreach at its worst. Denying transgender students the ability to use the restroom that matches their gender identity will cause unnecessary distress for our youth, and unnecessary bureaucracy for our schools,” said Sam Ames (they/them pronouns), Director of Advocacy and Government Affairs at The Trevor Project. “Transgender students already experience disproportionate rates of mental health challenges due to increased experiences of discrimination and victimization, and this legislative bullying will add insult to injury. We urge Governor Stitt to consider the overwhelming evidence in favor of affirming trans students and to veto this bill.”
The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health found that more than half (53%) of transgender and nonbinary youth seriously considered suicide in the past year, and nearly 1 in 5 attempted suicide. 71% of transgender and nonbinary youth reported that they have experienced discrimination based on their gender identity, and those who have reported signficantly higher rates of attempting suicide in the past year compared to those who have not. Further, 91% of transgender and nonbinary youth said that they have worried about transgender people being denied access to the bathroom due to state or local laws.
Further, a 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 mental health 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.
