Protesters gather on the steps of the Louisiana State Capitol on July 18, 2023, to oppose the state legislature’s attempt to override gubernatorial vetoes of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. (Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator)
Editor’s Note: If you or a loved one is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
As the presidential race was called for Donald Trump in the early hours of Wednesday, calls and texts to a leading LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention organization exploded in a huge outpouring of anxiety over the election results.
The Trevor Project saw an overall increase of 700 percent in calls, texts and chats compared to previous weeks. The organization provides a lifeline via phone, online chat or text message to LGBTQ+ youth struggling with thoughts of depression, self-harm or suicide while coming out to their families or facing discrimination. Services are currently experiencing long wait times, at a particularly vulnerable time for LGBTQ+ people.
LGBTQ+ youth in these conversations are scared, confused and anxious about the outcome of the election, a spokesperson for the Trevor Project said. Their crisis services typically focus on supporting the mental health of queer and trans youth ages 13 to 24 as they navigate relationships, gender identity, and coming out. Now, the vast majority of young LGBTQ+ Americans are seeking emergency help for what they describe in helpline text and chat messages as “election anxiety.”
This report was originally published by The 19th. The Illuminator is a founding member of The 19th News Network.
These requests for help do not happen in a vacuum. They are the result of a political climate that has brought transphobia into the political mainstream, especially through Trump’s campaign. The former president’s campaign spent more than $20 million on ads that portrayed transgender people as harmful to society or attacked Vice President Kamala Harris’ support of transgender people. Trump has pledged to implement extreme anti-LGBTQ+ policies in his second term, such as efforts to charge teachers with sex discrimination for affirming students’ gender identities. Some of his proposals mimic the state’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws that have gone into effect in recent years.
These state laws and the vitriolic rhetoric surrounding them have steadily eroded the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth. Previous research from the Trevor Project, in partnership with polling firm Morning Consult, found that state proposals restricting the rights of LGBT+ young people in schools, sports and doctors’ offices are negatively impacting their mental health. New research from the Trevor Project, published in the journal Nature Human Behavior, found that state laws targeting transgender people made trans and nonbinary youth more likely to commit suicide in the past year.
The spike in crisis services reach is alarming, says Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project. But, Black added, the organization is not surprised that the wave of anti-LGBTQ+ policies in recent years continues to harm young people’s mental health. “The current political climate in the US is tough, but it is so important for LGBTQ+ youth to know that they don’t have to carry this weight alone,” Black said.
“LGBTQ+ youth: your life matters, and you were born to live it,” Black added.
The Trevor Project encourages LGBTQ+ youth to take a break from news and social media, turning off notifications when trying to relax and find community whenever possible, both in person and online. Additional resources include calling the Trans Lifeline, which has specific resources and upcoming meetings for those “dealing with post-election grief”; text hotlines such as THRIVE Lifeline and Steve Fund; calling the LGBT National Youth Talkline; or contact a care provider via the Crisis Text Line.
Another way to seek help when you are in crisis or considering suicide is to reach out to a trusted friend, community, or family member.
Lambda Legal, an LGBTQ+ legal group, has compiled a list of state-level resources for LGBTQ+ youth, including mentorship programs and community centers. To connect with new friends and discuss shared hobbies, Q Chat Space offers an online community for LGBTQ+ teens. Parents of LGBTQ+ youth looking for supportive spaces can find state and local PFLAG chapters across the country, or join virtual meetings.
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