Anti-transgender laws are having a scary impact. According to a new study published in Nature Human Behaviour, transgender and nonbinary people were more likely to attempt suicide in states with anti-trans laws.
The Trevor Project surveyed more than 61,000 trans and nonbinary people between the ages of 13 and 24. The study looked at participant’s mental health between 2018 to 2022, a time during which many anti-trans laws were enacted.
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The laws, 48 of which were put into place amid the study, encompass many issues. Among those are limiting access to gender-affirming medical care or bathrooms. Other laws prohibit transgender and nonbinary youth from participating in school activities that match their gender identity.
The study found that, in the 19 states with such laws, suicide attempts among those impacted greatly increased. Those younger than 18 had the highest increase—by as much as 72 percent—in suicide attempt rates. Meanwhile, across the full sample, an increase in suicide attempt rates of 38 to 44 percent was observed.
“It is without question that anti-transgender policies, and the dangerous rhetoric surrounding them, take a measurable toll on the health and safety of transgender and nonbinary young people all across the country,” Jaymes Black, The Trevor Project CEO, said.
“As we get closer to critical elections this November, these young people will continue to be reduced to political talking points. I urge every adult—no matter your political beliefs—to remember that transgender and nonbinary young people are our family, our friends, and our neighbors. It’s not necessary to fully understand their experience to acknowledge that they—like all young people—deserve dignity, respect, and the ability to lead healthy and full lives.”
Ronita Nath, Vice President of Research at The Trevor Project, also addressed the study’s findings in a statement.
“This groundbreaking study offers robust and indisputable evidence to support what we have already known: the recent wave of anti-transgender laws in the United States is quite literally risking the lives of young people across the country,” she said. “.This study critically confirms – for the first time – a causal relationship between anti-transgender laws and heightened suicide risk among transgender and nonbinary young people.”
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.
