WASHINGTON, DC — The Trevor Project today commended the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for announcing that it will prohibit housing discrimination against LGBTQ people. HUD will enforce the Fair Housing Act to investigate cases of housing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity — becoming the first federal agency to implement the Supreme Court’s Bostock decision as per the guidance of Biden’s day one executive order to combat LGBTQ-based discrimination.
“The Trevor Project commends the Biden Administration for its continued efforts to protect LGBTQ young people from discrimination. No one should be denied shelter because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Amit Paley (he/him pronouns), CEO and Executive Director of The Trevor Project. “Research clearly demonstrates that LGBTQ-based discrimination is linked to increased risk for suicide. That’s why Congress should supplement these recent executive actions with the passage of the Equality Act to prohibit discrimination in housing and all other areas of society. Furthermore, we must expand programs and protections for LGBTQ young people who experience housing instability, especially those who are transgender or nonbinary, people of color, and/or living with HIV/AIDS.”
According to data from The Trevor Project’s 2020 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, LGBTQ young people also face disproportionate rates of housing instability. 29% of LGBTQ youth reported experiencing homelessness, being kicked out, or running away, including 38% of transgender and nonbinary youth. LGBTQ youth who experienced housing instability reported considering suicide at twice the rate and attempted suicide at more than three times the rate of LGBTQ youth who had not.
A peer-reviewed study by researchers at The Trevor Project found that transgender and nonbinary youth who reported experiencing discrimination based on their gender identity had more than double the odds of attempting suicide in the past year compared to transgender and nonbinary youth who did not experience gender identity-based discrimination.
If you or someone you know is feeling hopeless or suicidal, contact The Trevor Project’s TrevorLifeline 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386. Counseling is also available 24/7 via chat every day at TheTrevorProject.org/Help, or by texting START to 678-678.
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. If you or someone you know is feeling hopeless or suicidal, our trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386 via chat www.TheTrevorProject.org/Help, or by texting START to 678-678.
