Youth's Lives Every Day
March 5, 2025 – Today, The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, released new research that captures the experiences of more than 18,000 LGBTQ+ young people ages 13-24 across the United States, segmented across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. The report utilizes data collected through The Trevor Project’s 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People to provide state-level analyses of mental health and suicide risk, access to care, impacts of anti-LGBTQ+ victimization and policies, and methods to support LGBTQ+ youth – as described by LGBTQ+ young people themselves.
Findings underscore that LGBTQ+ young people continue to report high rates of mental health challenges, suicidality, and associated experiences of anti-LGBTQ+ victimization such as bullying, discrimination, threats of physical violence, and conversion therapy.
“Similar to previous research, these data reinforce that LGBTQ+ youth are not disproportionately impacted by suicide because of who they are, but rather, because of how they are mistreated, stigmatized and discriminated against,” said Jaymes Black (they/she/he), CEO of The Trevor Project. “This is an incredibly difficult time for many LGBTQ+ young people – and these findings give us critical insight into the unique challenges they face in every state. We hope lawmakers, advocates, youth-serving professionals, and allies in every corner of the country use this research to better understand and support the young people in their communities.”
While the report offers in-depth findings for all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., researchers identified trends across each of the four major U.S. Census regions. However, these regional trends offer a broad perspective, and LGBTQ+ young people’s experiences vary both between and within individual states across the country.
Key regional trends include:
- The South: LGBTQ+ youth living in states across the South had some of the highest rates of wanting but being unable to access to mental health care (e.g., South Carolina 63%, Texas 60%) and some of the highest rates of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity (e.g., Alabama 65%, Arkansas 66%) and some of the lowest levels of community acceptance (e.g., Mississippi 21%, Tennessee 33%) compared to other regions.
- The Northeast: LGBTQ+ young people living in states across the Northeast reported higher levels of community acceptance (e.g., Massachusetts 90%, Maine 81%) and relatively lower rates of suicidal thoughts and attempts (e.g., Connecticut 26% suicidal thoughts, 6% suicide attempts; New Hampshire 36% suicidal thoughts, 10% suicide attempts) compared to other regions.
- The Midwest: LGBTQ+ young people living in states across the Midwest reported some of the highest rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts (e.g., Ohio 43% suicidal thoughts, 12% suicide attempts; Nebraska 45% suicidal thoughts, 16% suicide attempts) compared to their peers in other regions. Youth in the Midwest also reported some of the highest rates of physical threat or harm based on sexual orientation or gender identity (e.g., Wisconsin 24%, Kansas 28%).
- The West: LGBTQ+ young people in states across the West had some of the highest reported rates of affirming home environments (e.g., Montana 54%, Oregon 54%) compared to their LGBTQ+ peers in other regions. However, they also reported some of the highest levels of depression, with 52% of LGBTQ+ youth in California experiencing symptoms of depression in the past year.
For data pertaining to each of the 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. visit https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2024-by-state. Below is a snapshot of key findings for four states – one from each of the major U.S. Census regions – California, Florida, Maine, and Wisconsin:
California
- 35% of LGBTQ+ young people in California seriously considered suicide in the past year, including 39% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
- 11% of LGBTQ+ young people in California attempted suicide in the past year, including 14% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
- 50% of LGBTQ+ young people in California wanted access to mental health care but did not receive it.
- 88% of LGBTQ+ young people in California reported that recent politics negatively impacted their well-being.
- 53% of LGBTQ+ young people in California ages 13-17 reported being bullied because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and 36% of those ages 18-24 reported the same.
- 16% of LGBTQ+ young people and 18% of transgender and nonbinary young people reported that they or their family considered leaving California for another state because of LGBTQ+ politics and laws.
- 81% of LGBTQ+ young people in California said their community is accepting of LGBTQ+ young people.
Florida
- 37% of LGBTQ+ young people in Florida seriously considered suicide in the past year, including 45% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
- 11% of LGBTQ+ young people in Florida attempted suicide in the past year, including 14% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
- 56% of LGBTQ+ young people in Florida wanted access to mental health care but did not receive it.
- 92% of LGBTQ+ young people in Florida reported that recent politics negatively impacted their well-being.
- 57% of LGBTQ+ young people in Florida ages 13-17 reported being bullied because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and 38% of those ages 18-24 reported the same.
- 69% of LGBTQ+ young people and 78% of transgender and nonbinary young people reported that they or their family considered leaving Florida for another state because of LGBTQ+ politics and laws.
- 48% of LGBTQ+ young people in Florida said their community is accepting of LGBTQ+ young people.
Maine
- 38% of LGBTQ+ young people in Maine seriously considered suicide in the past year, including 42% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
- 13% of LGBTQ+ young people in Maine attempted suicide in the past year, including 18% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
- 45% of LGBTQ+ young people in Maine wanted access to mental health care but did not receive it.
- 87% of LGBTQ+ young people in Maine reported that recent politics negatively impacted their well-being.
- 75% of LGBTQ+ young people in Maine ages 13-17 reported being bullied because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and 35% of those ages 18-24 reported the same.
- 18% of LGBTQ+ young people and 20% of transgender and nonbinary young people reported that they or their family considered leaving Maine for another state because of LGBTQ+ politics and laws.
- 81% of LGBTQ+ young people in Maine said their community is accepting of LGBTQ+ young people.
Wisconsin
- 39% of LGBTQ+ young people in Wisconsin seriously considered suicide in the past year, including 44% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
- 12% of LGBTQ+ young people in Wisconsin attempted suicide in the past year.
- 47% of LGBTQ+ young people in Wisconsin wanted access to mental health care but did not receive it.
- 91% of LGBTQ+ young people in Wisconsin reported that recent politics negatively impacted their well-being.
- 72% of LGBTQ+ young people in Wisconsin ages 13-17 reported being bullied because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and 41% of those ages 18-24 reported the same.
- 40% of LGBTQ+ young people and 45% of transgender and nonbinary young people reported that they or their family considered leaving Wisconsin for another state because of LGBTQ+ politics and laws.
- 70% of LGBTQ+ young people in Wisconsin said their community is accepting of LGBTQ+ young people.
“Many of these state findings are grim, and they signal serious gaps in resources and outsized mental health challenges for already marginalized youth that we simply must address,” said Dr. Ronita Nath (she/her), Vice President of Research at The Trevor Project. “However, these data also give us a clear call to action: we must all do our part to make LGBTQ+ young people feel more welcome and accepted in the places they call home.”
Any comparisons between regions and states should be interpreted with caution, especially as the 2024 U.S. National Survey was designed to generate a large and diverse sample of LGBTQ+ young people, not a nationally representative one. The aim of this report is to examine state-level data and provide a clearer understanding of the unique challenges and support systems for LGBTQ+ young people in different communities across the U.S. To view the complete findings for all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico – including the full methodology – visit https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2024-by-state/.
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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.
