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People who identify as transgender or non-binary in the United States are a Small fraction Among the public, but also from lawmakers, a new study finds that targets have received the most negative attention — and those laws can have deadly consequences.
The study was published Thursday in the journal human nature, When anti-trans legislation becomes state law, suicide attempts among transgender and non-binary youth increase, up to 72 percent among teens living in states where the bills become law.
Studies show Most Americans oppose discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, including those who identify as transgender; An umbrella term For those whose gender identity is different from the gender they were assigned at birth.
however, Experts say Anti-trans legislation It became more common In the year After a 2015 US Supreme Court decision struck down same-sex marriage bans.
In the year In 2024 alone, politicians in US states introduced 658 anti-trans bills, which is three times more than the previous year. Trans law trackeran independent research group.
For the new study, researchers looked at data from 2018 to 2022, when 48 anti-sex bills became law in 19 states. These include bans on trans-specific health care, bathroom access and sports participation, as well as bans on people updating their IDs to reflect their true gender. The researchers surveyed people who identified as LGBTQ+ and were between the ages of 13 and 24 across the United States.Responses were collected from youth who identified as transgender or non-binary, a total of 61,240 people from all 50 states.
The study showed that self-reported suicide attempts among these young people did not increase when these bills were in their state's debate. But after the bills became law, the researchers found a statistically significant increase in suicide attempts among young trans and non-binary people living in those states.
Given that most laws are aimed at young people, it is not surprising that the results for 13- to 17-year-olds were larger among the full sample of 13- to 17-year-olds, the researchers said.
“We know there are associations between anti-transgender policies and negative health outcomes for LGBTQ+ youth, but this is the first time any study has shown this causal relationship,” said study co-author Dr. Ronita Nath. Vice President of Research In the Trevor Project, National organization Provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth. All study authors are current or former employees of The Trevor Project.
“We know that if we can demonstrate this, it will be a great success for trans and non-binary youth using sound scientific evidence to support protection and affirming policies and ultimately save their lives.”
The study can't pinpoint the exact relationship, but the researchers wrote that “the creation of anti-gender laws suggests that society rejects their identities, and that their identities and bodies are unprotected and undeserving.”
In other words, the laws themselves may not accelerate suicide attempts, but instead add to youth's overall stress. Regardless of a person's identity, suicide is one of the first. Causes of death Among all teenagers in the US.
“So laws that limit access to gender-affirming bathrooms, laws that stop participation in gender-appropriate sports activities can lead to rejection, social exclusion, bullying,” he said.
Laws that limit gender-affirming health care may increase the risk of suicide. Research Access to such care has been shown to lead to better mental health outcomes, including reduced suicide risk.
Laws that prevent someone from updating their identification documents to match their gender can reduce access to much-needed resources and create more opportunities for discrimination and harassment in places like airports or polling places.
“Passed anti-sex laws may be a source of increased anxiety for minorities, which may lead to suicide risk or other mental health issues,” Nat.
She added: “We're talking about real young people's lives. “Trans people are our family, our friends, our neighbors, and they deserve so much better.”
Trans or non-binary teens generally have higher rates of suicidal attempts. Studies show. When the law affirms a member of society, Research showsSuicide attempts are reduced.
Research has found a link between state-level policies and negative mental health outcomes. In August A small study A study of nearly 800 transgender adults in Washington found that people who fear their rights may be taken away are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety.
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The new study “is the clearest step in showing the harms of this type of restrictive law,” he said. Dr. Alex KyuroglianClinical Psychiatrist and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School Director of Education and Training Department Fenway InstituteA health organization that supports transgender and gender minorities.
Mental health experts have been predicting that anti-sexism laws will have significant negative consequences, especially for young people, but Chiuroglia was not involved in the new report.
“These laws seek to effectively eliminate transgender and non-binary people from society, and if the state you live in passes a law that limits your basic rights and freedoms, including access to medically necessary evidence-based care, that greatly diminishes your hope for a young future,” he said. It is not surprising that the laws we looked at were associated with the risk of suicide attempts.”