Seen, supported, and heard: Helping transgender and nonbinary youth
Posted April 26, 2022, by Mindi Wisman
Transgender and nonbinary youth are under attack; states like Florida and Texas have passed legislation encouraging discrimination against them and targeting their access to health care. According to recent research, more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth have seriously considered suicide over the past year, and 94% of LGBTQ+ youth say the current political discourse in the country is negatively impacting their mental health. Much of what youth are seeing these days is unsupportive and even insidious. But, there are glimmers of hope—according to The Trevor Project, having just one accepting adult in their life reduces transgender and nonbinary youth suicide attempts by one third. Below we provide a brief review of some recent literature and reporting on this issue, and a recommendation for a free webinar on helping transgender and nonbinary youth feel more seen, supported, and heard.
What the research says
A recent report from Child Trends provides a thoroughly comprehensive review of the latest data, policies, and legislation on gender-affirming care—developmentally appropriate measures that can reduce depression and anxiety in transgender and nonbinary people. The authors argue that the myriad nefarious policies being enacted across the U.S. limiting access to critical gender-affirming care are creating an acutely dangerous environment for transgender and nonbinary youth and their families.
Education Week takes a deep dive into the harmful legislation and policies being proposed and passed around the country that are limiting schools on merely bringing up LGBTQ+ issues. The author spoke with educators, lawmakers, and advocates to understand the history behind today’s divisive rhetoric on LGBTQ+ matters and found a complex picture. Concerns from legislators and parents on ‘parent’s right’s’ and ‘curriculum transparency’ combined with deep-seeded fears about LGBTQ+ issues and vague school policies have added up to a political climate of discord and discrimination against LGBTQ+ students.
A new peer-reviewed study measured the mental health outcomes of transgender and nonbinary youth who participated in gender-affirming care. The researchers found that those who received treatment including medication and hormones were significantly less likely to experience depression or suicidality over a one-year period. The authors argue that the spate of new legislation eliminating access to gender-affirming care will have serious negative health outcomes for transgender and nonbinary youth.
A Texas family with a transgender child is at the core of compelling reporting detailing their struggle to keep their family together amidst the states’ draconian new legislation. The state is investigating parents whose children are receiving gender-affirming health care, and threatening foster care removal to those families who don’t comply. As the author points out, given the dismal state of the Texas foster care system—it’s been under investigation and a court order for over ten years for repeated abuses—it’s an especially egregious threat.
What we can do
It is clear from the research that today’s transgender and nonbinary youth need more support than ever. A new, free webinar offers insight into how to do just that, especially in school settings. This webinar Supporting Transgender & Nonbinary Students in K-12 Schools, which was recorded in early April, featured educators and experts from the CDC, Department of Education, The Trevor Project, GLSEN, and educators and students with lived experience who discussed challenges faced by many transgender and nonbinary students and offered actionable strategies and resources for providing support. This webinar was hosted by our partner, the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE).
Key takeaways from this meaningful and informative webinar include:
Schools can best protect students through supportive programs and personnel; creating safe spaces; professional development; inclusive resources; and comprehensive anti-bullying and harassment policies.
Language matters; normalize pronouns and use people’s chosen language and identifiers.
Small gestures matter; ally pins and pride stickers indicate to youth that you are a supportive, accepting, safe adult.
Focus on who people are, not what they are.
Just one supportive adult can make a significant difference in a youth’s life.
Access the webinar recording, related materials, and resources here.