Content warning: This article includes mentions of suicide.
Shortly after President Donald Trump won the 2024 election, LGBTQ+ crisis lines were flooded with an unprecedented number of calls. LGBTQ+ youth already have a higher suicide rate than others their age due to persistent bullying, lack of support from peers and adults, and anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes on the rise. Hostile and hateful rhetoric from politicians and in the news, along with the passage of discriminatory bills targeting LGBTQ+ rights, inspire violent homophobic incidents and traumatize LGBTQ+ youth. Trump’s second term has already begun to aggressively roll back freedoms for LGBTQ+ youth, putting their physical and mental safety at risk.
In a 2024 national survey from The Trevor Project, an overwhelming majority of LGBTQ+ young people said their well-being was negatively impacted due to recent politics. That same year, the American Civil Liberties Union tracked 533 anti-LGBTQ+ bills throughout America. These bills, regardless of whether they pass or not, are specifically categorized by their ability to harm the LGBTQ+ community, instilling anxiety and fear.
Such bills affect LGBTQ+ Americans directly through subjugation: Healthcare restrictions limit gender-affirming care for transgender and nonbinary individuals, the weakening of civil rights protections pose physical and financial threats, while bans on drag queen story hour and gender-affirming bathroom usage restrict personal freedoms. But it’s important to note that these laws affect mental health both through their direct restrictions and the message they send: that LGBTQ+ people, especially those who are trans and nonbinary, are not welcome in this country.
Access to gender-affirming care reduces suicidal ideation and attempts among transgender individuals, and restrictions on said care can prove fatal. A study conducted by The Trevor Project found that the introduction of anti-trans legislation increased suicide attempts among transgender and nonbinary young people by as much as 72%. The opposite rings true too — transgender adolescents living in states with anti-discrimination laws that explicitly include transgender student guidance are less likely to report depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. There is a direct relationship between anti-trans legislation and the rate of suicidal tendencies among transgender individuals.
Trump signed an executive order threatening to revoke federal funding from medical institutions that provide gender-affirming surgeries, puberty blockers and hormones to those under the age of 19, referring to such treatment as “surgical mutilation.” In response to the order, several medical institutions, including NYU Langone, have canceled gender-affirming surgeries. While this is framed as an order that protects children, studies have shown that for transgender and non-binary youth, gender-affirming care can reduce the risk of suicide by 73%.
Even just reading about legislation limiting gender-affirming care heightens symptoms of depression, rumination and hopelessness, as well as anxiety and gender dysphoria in transgender youth and young adults — who, along with their other LGBTQ+ peers, are already more likely to experience mental health issues. The slew of anti-LGBTQ+ policies Trump has enforced can be overwhelming — from banning trans people from serving in the military and playing sports to revoking an executive order that prevented discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexuality. Conversely, nearly 8 in 10 LGBTQ+ young people reported that hearing about potential bans on conversion therapy made them feel better. LGBTQ+ people also struggle to access mental health help when in need, with fewer than 1 in 3 mental health facilities in the United States offering specialized LGBTQ+ services for teens. Among young LGBTQ+ people seeking mental health care, only half were able to get it — often due to high costs, fear of getting a parent’s permission and fear of involuntary hospitalization, among other concerns.
Access to mental health treatment and research funding for the LGBTQ+ community are being slashed by the Trump administration. Most recently, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency fired over 10% of the staff working for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Trump’s executive order, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” required scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to withdraw any pending publications if they mention terms such as “transgender,” “L.G.B.T.” and “pregnant people” — erasing any mention of gender or gender-inclusive language. Their surveys on LGBTQ+ mental health and surveillance data on HIV, as well as other diseases, have also been removed.
There are ways local governments can support their LGBTQ+ citizens without the federal government. Cities and counties should be passing laws to protect and advance LGBTQ+ rights, and luckily plenty are. Earlier this month, Worcester, Massachusetts became the first safe-haven city for “transgender and gender diverse” people through a city council resolution. In it, the city committed to protecting gender-affirming care, as well as including several protections for healthcare workers providing such care, and stated that it would not follow federal or state policies that aimed to harm transgender individuals.
Cities such as New York, supposedly the world’s most LGBTQ+ friendly city, should have no problem following suit. Support could include establishing an office of equity and passing nondiscrimination ordinances, which can cover employee nondiscrimination protections, protecting youth from conversion therapy and transgender-inclusive health benefits. These changes can bring both direct and indirect mental health comfort for LGBTQ+ individuals.
The rights and well-being of LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly youth, should never be politicized. Access to healthcare, legal equality and protection from discrimination are issues of personal safety and freedom, not ideological debate. The reality is, gender-affirming care for transgender individuals, along with legal protection for all LGBTQ+ citizens, saves lives. We must support evidence-based solutions and policies that protect and uplift LGBTQ+ individuals, rather than allowing harmful political rhetoric to endanger their lives.
WSN’s Opinion section strives to publish ideas worth discussing. The views presented in the Opinion section are solely the views of the writer.
Contact Sam Kats at [email protected].