Anti-LGBTQ+ policies hurt young people and make them want to move out of state: Trevor Project study

On his first day in office, President Trump signed an executive order declaring that the U.S. government will only recognize sexes: male and female.

Since 2022, the Biden administration had allowed U.S. citizens to choose the gender-neutral “X” on their passports. The new executive order rolls this back, as well as prevents taxpayer funds from being used for gender-transition healthcare.

It’s the first in what will surely be more policy blows aimed at the LGBTQ+ population.

The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on preventing suicide among LGBTQ+ youth, released a report on the impact of state policies on the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth. The report draws on data from the Trevor Project’s 2024 mental health survey of 18,000 LGBTQ+ people ages 13 to 24, and data from think tank the Movement Advancement Project’s work tracking policy changes across the U.S.

The study shows how anti-LGBTQ+ policies have a non-trivial impact on the LGBTQ+ population. Here are the key findings:

• Negative impact on well-being: Anti-LGBTQ+ politics has an overwhelmingly negative impact on well-being. Ninety percent of LGBTQ+ people said these policy changes had a negative impact on their well-being. Anti-transgender state laws directly resulted in a 72% increase in suicide attempts among trans and nonbinary youth who lived in states that implemented such laws.
• Anti-LGBTQ+ polices are common: Currently, 27% of LGBTQ+ young people live in a state with negative LGBTQ+ policies, and 38% in states with positive LGBTQ+ policies.
• LGBTQ+ youth want to move based on politics: Almost two in five reported thinking about moving to a different state with more friendly LGBTQ+ policies and 4% actually did move. This was particularly pronounced for trans youth: Seven in 10 living in a state with anti-trans policies have considered moving to another state.

Trump’s executive order is a blow at the federal level, which raises fears about what else may come down the pipeline and how much states with positive LGBTQ+ policies can do to protect their residents.

After all, where is there to move except across country borders when federal policies slide into place? The Trevor project reported that it saw a 33% increase in calls to its crisis hot line on inauguration day.

“One thing must be made clear: regardless of if, when, or how today’s anticipated anti-transgender executive order—and others like it—may be implemented, targeting the transgender and nonbinary community on day one will cause harm—especially for young people,” said Janson Wu, senior director of state advocacy and government affairs at the Trevor Project, in a statement about Trump’s executive order. “We know that many people are feeling afraid, or even confused, by what certain actions today and in the coming days mean for our community. I want to remind everyone that we are prepared for whatever lies ahead—and will continue to protect and care for each other now, just as we always have.”