Nearly half of trans and nonbinary kids in the U.S. have considered suicide in the past year, according to new data from The Trevor Project’s 2023 National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People.
The LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention nonprofit’s fifth annual report surveyed over 28,000 queer young people across the country between the ages of 13 to 24, and the results are concerning, to say the least. (You can see the survey and all its data here.)
Among the key findings, The Trevor Project reports that 41% of young people within the LGBTQ+ community have “seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year.” This percentage is even higher amongst trans and non-binary kids, applying to 48% of trans women, 56% of trans men, and 48% of nonbinary and genderqueer youth (which averages out to 50%).
Unsurprisingly, the wave of anti-queer and anti-trans legislation and rhetoric currently sweeping the United States has had a significant negative impact on young queer and trans Americans’ mental health. Almost 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in 2023 alone, many of which target trans youth. According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), almost one third of trans youth now live in states that have passed bans on gender affirming care for minors, while an additional 18% live in states that are at risk of banning or restricting such care.
Nearly 1 in 3 Trevor Project respondents reported that their mental health was poor “most of the time or always” due to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. The survey also found that 65% of young trans and non-binary people who were on gender-affirming hormones were “somewhat or very concerned” about losing access to care.
“This is a public health crisis — and it’s preventable,” Kasey Suffredini, The Trevor Project’s vice president of advocacy and government affairs, said in a news release. “Our government must work from the top down to curb risk factors like violence and discrimination and increase access to essential health care, safe schools, and support systems. Yet, far too many lawmakers at the state level are working overtime to push a dangerous political agenda that will jeopardize young lives.”
In the meantime, access to affirming spaces is paramount to protecting mental health amidst queer and trans youth. According to the 2023 survey, young trans and nonbinary people whose identities were affirmed at home and at school reported lower rates of attempting suicide, with roughly half of trans and nonbinary respondents reporting that they found their school to be gender-affirming.
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or reach The Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386, via chat www.TheTrevorProject.org/Help, or by texting START to 678-678.
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