A disturbing trend of transgender youth being politically scapegoated looms over the LGBTQ+ community.
Jack Kavanaugh is the Executive Director of GLYS WNY.
In 2024 alone, more than 520 anti-LGBTQ bills will be introduced across the U.S., and 70 laws will be passed targeting transgender and non-binary youth by reducing access to safe and affirming spaces and providers. It was done. This political maneuvering not only undermines the rights of transgender individuals, it also puts their physical and mental health at risk.
The Trevor Project’s 2024 LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health Survey reveals some alarming statistics. 39% of LGBTQ youth have seriously considered suicide in the past year, and that number rises to 46% for transgender and nonbinary youth. 90% of LGBTQ+ youth said their well-being has been negatively impacted by recent politics. Furthermore, although only 54% of transgender and non-binary youth feel their school is gender affirming, youth who feel this way report lower rates of suicide attempts. Masu.
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Anti-transgender rhetoric intensifies as New York State proposes codifying existing protections through Proposition 1. Opponents say the amendment undermines traditional values and threatens parental control over their children’s education and health care. This narrative distorts the reality faced by transgender New Yorkers, frames their rights as a social risk, and deepens prejudice.
Additionally, a recent Supreme Court decision allowing Colorado business owners to refuse service to same-sex couples reinforces the harmful narrative that discrimination is acceptable. Such rulings continue to advance anti-LGBTQ laws and create an environment where discrimination is normalized.
At GLYS WNY, staff work with LGBTQ+ youth, their families, and other professionals to ensure safe homes, safe schools, and safe communities to support youth development and address rising rates of depression and suicide. I’m fighting.
We offer a free drop-in center for LGBTQ+ youth every Tuesday and Thursday from 3pm to 6pm. There, teens can interact with peers and youth mentors in a safe and positive space. We also offer support groups twice a month for young people and their parents and carers. These sessions promote positive self-esteem, self-assertion, and leadership skills, and connect LGBTQ+ youth with the larger community, a community that needs to come together to protect youth in the face of anti-LGTBQ rhetoric. Helpful.
Many of the young people we serve are frustrated, feeling ignored and ignored by politicians and society. They are not given a voice and are instead made into public scapegoats at national and local levels by leaders who claim to care about them.
As a society, we must refuse to use transgender youth as political pawns. Their lives are not a bargaining chip. They are young people who deserve support, acceptance, and opportunities to grow. It is extremely important to our community that the rights and mental health of all youth are protected.
Who are we as a society if we cannot stand up to protect the most vulnerable among us, our young people?
Jack Kavanaugh is the Executive Director of GLYS WNY.
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