Legislative Attacks Taking Significant Toll on LGBTQ+ Mental Health
As Pride month – a time of celebration and connection for the LGBTQ+ community – is coming to a close, an article in The Conversation highlights how unprecedented legislative attacks are taking a toll on LGBTQ+ mental health.
In this legislative cycle, there have been almost 500 bills aimed at limiting the rights of LGBTQ+ people, nearly 12 times as many as there were in 2018. While some of these bills affect schools and education, civil rights, public accommodations, and free speech, many of these bills specifically target transgender and nonbinary people, attempting to block access to gender-affirming medical care in the name of protecting children from abuse.
Whether or not these bills become law, research shows that the political climate alone can have significant negative effects on the lives of trans and nonbinary people, an already marginalized group, affecting their mental health and well-being.
The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization focusing on LGBTQ+ youth, released its 2023 report, showing that 86% of trans and nonbinary youth nationwide reported that debates around state laws restricting LGBTQ+ rights negatively influenced their mental health. “This political climate can leave trans and nonbinary people feeling on edge about their safety, concerned about their future and heighten feelings of distress like anxiety and depression,” the article states. Further, the families of trans and nonbinary youth report fearing for their safety and fleeing areas where such legislation is being passed. For trans and nonbinary people who have been victims of past violence, these laws elicit feelings of fear, creating an ongoing cycle of distress.
On the flip side, trans and nonbinary people who live in states with nondiscrimination protections are less likely to experience mood disorders or report symptoms of depression than those without those protections, research shows.
Book bans and so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bills – which ban any discussion of LGBTQ+-related topics in classrooms – are also likely to negatively impact trans and non-binary youth. On the contrary, research shown that gay-straight alliances and LGBTQ+-affirming policies in schools are linked to a lower risk of bullying and higher levels of support from classmates and teachers. Where inclusive policies exist, LGBTQ+ youth also report having more positive experiences at and perceptions of school, a key factor in feeling like “you matter,” a cornerstone of mental health.
Read the full article at The Conversation.
To learn more about the various bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community, visit ACLU.
Puckett, Jae. “Anti-trans bills and political climates are taking a significant mental health toll on trans and non-binary people, even during Pride.” 12 Jun 2023, https://theconversation.com/anti-trans-bills-and-political-climates-are-taking-a-significant-mental-health-toll-on-trans-and-nonbinary-people-even-during-pride-199859.
Photo by Brian Kyed on Unsplash