54% of transgender and nonbinary youth in Florida seriously considered suicide in the past year, and 1 in 5 attempted suicide.
April 19, 2023 — The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ young people, issued the following statement in response to a number of anti-LGBTQ policies that have advanced in Florida today:
Statement from Casey Pick (she/her), Director of Law and Policy for The Trevor Project:
“It is heartbreaking to see Florida officials advance this slate of anti-LGBTQ bills, especially when a majority of trans and nonbinary young Floridians have seriously considered suicide and 1 in 5 have made a suicide attempt in the last year. We need to be urgently expanding access to affirming health care, safe schools, and support systems for this marginalized group of young people. These issues can seem complicated for people who’ve never met a transgender person. But the impact of discriminatory policies on our youth is abundantly clear and deeply concerning. However, these fights are far from over. We strongly urge every Florida official to reject these harmful policies.”
Relevant Research
- The Trevor Project’s 2022 U.S. National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health by State found that 54% of transgender and nonbinary youth in Florida seriously considered suicide in the past year, and 1 in 5 attempted suicide. At a national level, The Trevor Project’s data has found that 71% of transgender and nonbinary youth reported that they had experienced discrimination based on their gender identity, and those who have reported significantly higher rates of attempting suicide in the past year compared to those who have not.
- 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.
- Research has found that learning about LGBTQ people or issues has been associated with significantly lower odds (23%) of a past-year suicide attempt in LGBTQ students.
- According to The Trevor Project’s latest polling published in Jan. 2023, 86% of transgender and nonbinary youth say recent debates about state laws restricting the rights of transgender people have negatively impacted their mental health. A majority of those trans youth (55%) said it impacted their mental health “very negatively.”
- 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.
