How can anyone argue about sports when trans youth are literally dying?
This post was originally published on this site
Republicans have long wanted to stomp out the LGBTQ+ community, and between their failures to lead amid the novel coronavirus pandemic and upcoming midterm elections, conservatives have turned to anti-trans rhetoric as their latest rallying cry. Conservatives, in particular, have latched on to a number of anti-trans positions in an attempt to normalize hate and discrimination against an already marginalized population. We’ve covered, for example, Republican attempts to ban access to safe, gender-affirming health care, as well as to prevent trans girls and women from participating in girls’ sports. Republicans are still trying to keep trans folks out of the bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity, too.
Trans adults face discrimination and lack fair protections in a number of areas, including housing and employment, and sadly, trans youth also report high levels of abuse and discrimination. Trans youth are more likely than their peers to leave high school without a diploma, become homeless, and, as has been researched again and again, more likely to live with suicidal ideation. Trans and nonbinary youth of color report especially high risk rates for suicidal ideation and attempts.
With this in mind, let’s dig into some very sobering data from LGBTQ+ nonprofit The Trevor Project on trans mental health and suicide, as highlighted over at CBS News.
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In The Trevor Project’s latest National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, researchers share results from a survey of nearly 34,000 LGBTQ+ people between the ages of 13 and 24 based in the United States. This survey took place between September 20 and Dec. 31, 2021. Almost half of the respondents to this survey were people of color.
Survey respondents between 13 and 27 were much more likely to consider or attempt suicide than those who were 18 or older, which isn’t terribly surprising but, of course, deeply concerning; trans youth are uniquely vulnerable both at home and at school. Trans youth have to worry about being “outed” to their family or caregivers, for example, and potentially face abuse or become homeless.
They also have to worry about how to navigate school, where each student or peer might react differently to their gender identity (if they know about it at all), and might have to survive a rollercoaster including being deadnamed, misgendered, and forced on to the wrong sports teams. Even just one of these obstacles would be stressful for anyone, much less a build-up.
More than 90% of transgender and nonbinary youth said they’ve worried about being denied access to safe, age-appropriate, gender-affirming health care, as has been pushed by conservatives. More than 90% also said they’ve been concerned about being denied bathroom access based on local or state laws; 83% said they’re worried about trans people being denied access to play sports.
According to researchers, more than 50% of respondents who seriously considered suicide in the past year identify as transgender or nonbinary and are under the age of 18. One-third of respondents who said they’d seriously considered suicide in the past year identified as cisgender. Just under 15% of LGBTQ+ youth said they attempted suicide last year. Put another way, that’s one in 10 cisgender youth and almost one in five trans or nonbinary youth.
Trans boys, trans girls, and nonbinary and genderqueer respondents both considered and attempted suicide at the highest rates of all respondents. In terms of sexual orientation, queer and questioning youth of color, as well as pansexual youth of color, reported high rates of both considering and attempting suicide as well. The highest percentages of suicidal ideation and attempts for LGBTQ+ youth of color came from respondents who are Black, Indigenous, and Middle Eastern or North African.
Now, with all of this in mind, it’s important to remember that LGBTQ+ youth are not inherently more likely to live with mental health struggles or to experience suicidal ideation or attempts. Mental health is (obviously) nuanced, but we can’t ignore that these young people are brought up in a world that, essentially from birth, tells them it’s “right” and “normal” to be cisgender and heterosexual.
More than 60% of LGBTQ+ youth respondents said they didn’t receive the mental health support they needed. Almost 75% of LGBTQ+ youth said they’d experienced anxiety and more than 50% said they’d experienced depression. Trans and nonbinary youth were more likely to live with anxiety, coming in at almost 80%, and were also more likely to report depression symptoms, coming in at 58%.
The main barriers to accessing mental health care, according to respondents, are anxieties about discussing mental health (48%), worries about getting permission from parents (45%), worries about not being taken seriously by the provider (43%), and not being able to afford mental health care (41%). Many LGBTQ+ respondents of color also worried about the cultural competency of the providers.
Between media portrayals of LGBTQ+ people, the hate spewed by Republicans, and, frankly, a considerable lack of education and allyship in the general population, it’s really not surprising that young people would experience fear, anxiety, and depression, especially as conservatives have turned their very existence into political fodder.
What to do? In addition to voting and organizing, simply be explicitly supportive. Survey respondents who said they felt supported by their families, for example, were more than 50% less likely to attempt suicide than participants who said they did not feel supported. More than 50%. Support is (literally) life-saving.
If you or a loved one are struggling, here are five free mental health and suicide prevention resources you can access right now. You can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, 24/7, and always for free.