You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience and security.

Skip to main
Press

The Trevor Project Condemns Passage of Anti-Transgender Medical Care Ban by Georgia House

BY: Trevor News
Tangerine Violet Gradient

The bill would prohibit doctors from providing best-practice medical care to transgender and nonbinary youth

March 16, 2023 — The Trevor Project, the world’s leading suicide prevention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people, condemned the passage of SB 140 by the Georgia House of Representatives, which would ban doctors from providing best-practice medical care to transgender and nonbinary youth and impart criminal penalties on providers who do so. The bill is headed to the Senate for a final floor vote before full passage.

“It’s heartbreaking to see Georgia lawmakers seek to criminalize doctors who provide medically necessary care, putting young people in harm’s way. Research at The Trevor Project shows that 55% of transgender and nonbinary youth in Georgia seriously considered suicide in the past year, and 16% attempted suicide — this is a public health crisis that demands urgent action to increase access to health care and support systems,” said Troy Stevenson (he/him pronouns), Director of State Advocacy Campaigns for The Trevor Project. “The Georgia General Assembly should not be inserting itself into critical decisions best left to parents and doctors by imposing a blanket ban on best-practice medical care. We urge the Georgia Senate to reject this dangerous bill and to protect access to this essential health care that has been life-saving for so many.”

Research has also consistently found that transgender medical care, is associated with positive mental health outcomes including showing promise for reducing suicide risk. A 2021 peer-reviewed study by The Trevor Project, the first large-scale study of more than 9,000 youth who received gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT), found that GAHT was significantly related to lower rates of depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts among transgender and nonbinary youth. Specifically for young people under age 18, receiving GAHT was associated with nearly 40% lower odds of recent depression and of a past-year suicide attempt. 

According to The Trevor Project’s new polling, 86% of transgender and nonbinary youth say recent debates about state laws restricting the rights of transgender people have negatively impacted their mental health. When asked about new policies that will ban doctors from providing gender-affirming medical care to transgender and nonbinary youth, 74% of transgender and nonbinary youth said it made them feel angry, 59% felt stressed, 56% felt sad, 48% felt hopeless, 47% felt scared, 46% felt helpless, and 45% felt nervous.

Further, a 2022 poll conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of The Trevor Project found that a majority of adults agree that transgender minors should have access to gender-affirming hormone therapy (55%) and puberty blockers (52%) if it’s recommended by their doctor and supported by their parents. Only 1 in 3 adults polled said lawmakers should have the ability to outlaw gender-affirming medical care for minors even if such a ban is against the recommendation of doctors and major medical associations.

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. 

Read more from
Press

Tangerine Violet Gradient
Press

The Trevor Project & Jussie Smollett Recruit Volunteers For 24/7 Suicide Prevention Services for LGBTQ Youth

20th Anniversary Campaign for Volunteer Crisis Counselors Is Powered by AT&T New York & Los Angeles — The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people, released “How to Save a Life,” a new national campaign that encourages supporters to apply to become volunteer crisis counselors for TrevorText and TrevorChat, the organization’s free and confidential text and web chat support services for LGBTQ youth. The campaign’s :30-second PSA features artist and activist Jussie Smollett. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth are more than four times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers,…
Tangerine Violet Gradient
Press

The Trevor Project Condemns Passage of “Don’t Say Gay” Bill By Florida Senate

LGBTQ youth who learned about LGBTQ issues or people in classes at school had 23% lower odds of reporting a suicide attempt in the past year. March 8, 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 HB 1557, also known as the “Don't Say Gay” bill, by the Florida Senate. This bill would ban classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, erasing LGBTQ identity, history, and culture — as well as LGBTQ students themselves. The bill…