LGBTQ+ Youth Are Pleading for Help From Crisis Services Since the Election
Seven hundred percent: that’s the increase in calls, texts, and chats to LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention organization The Trevor Project after the election. As a torrent of fear and unease flooded this already-vulnerable community, so did the desperate phone calls — 700% more than usual. It’s more than a heartbreaking statistic. It’s a crushing reminder of the devastating setbacks they’ll encounter for at least the next four years.
According to the ACLU, there have been 532 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced into the U.S. legislature so far in 2024. While not all of them will become laws, the mere fact that they were ever on the table in the first place speaks volumes. And an AP news analysis found that many of these bills bear striking similarities to model legislation, or pre-drafted bills promoted by conservative right-wing special interest groups. Which means that under the new Trump administration, the LGBTQ+ community will almost certainly find themselves discriminated against in ways that dismantle all the progress made within the last couple of decades.
When America voted politicians into office who support anti-LGBTQ+ legislation — not least of all to the highest office in the land, the presidency — it sent a hurtful and terrifying message to the entire LGBTQ+ community, but especially to vulnerable youth who now have no idea how to find their footing when they live in what is essentially hostile territory. Their future is uncertain, and their rights to receive gender-affirming healthcare, join the military, marry the person they love one day, or even live openly and unapologetically true to themselves feel like they’re hanging in the balance. They face an existence where they may not only be discriminated against — legally — but could also be in literal danger of physical harm. Or, at the very least, bullying by people emboldened by the election of politicians who have said terrible things about them. Homophobic and transphobic people are coming out of the woodwork, because they feel that if our elected officials can say it out loud (and be supported for doing so!) then they can too. There’s strength in numbers, after all, and this growing cacophony of hateful voices is threatening to drown out the support that the LGBTQ+ community relies on in order to simply be their authentic selves.
According to recently-released data, Republicans spent close to $20 million on anti-trans ads during the campaign (does “Kamala is for they/them; Trump is for you” sound familiar?). In his first term, Donald Trump attempted to repeal several protections for the LGBTQ+ community. And this time, he’s appointing a cadre of officials with notably strong anti-LGBTQ stances … not to mention taking advice from blatantly homophobic and transphobic Elon Musk, who has been hatefully vocal despite being the father of a trans daughter himself. With Republicans in control of the Senate, and now inching dangerously close to control of the House as well, they could have total control of the U.S. government, which does nothing to quell the fears of the LGBTQ+ community.
All over the country, the hearts of LGBTQ+ youth are breaking, right alongside those of their parents and their allies. What if rights that were once in place were suddenly at risk of being taken away? What if your child was suddenly unsafe — or just had to live every day scared that they might be? A new study just established that there’s a direct, causal link between anti-trans laws and suicide attempts; its design helps prove that the laws are directly driving those attempts, rather than just showing a connection. We already know that LGBTQ youth face higher mental health risks — not because being LGBTQ causes, or is caused by, mental health problems, but because of the accompanying social factors like rejection, bullying, discrimination, and violence.
What do we expect when our elected leadership constantly vomits rhetoric that tells these kids they’re wrong, they’re bad, they’re undeserving of acceptance in their own home country? What do we expect when it suddenly becomes “okay” for others to follow suit? A vote for any anti-LGBTQ official is a clear signal of acceptance for, and agreement with, their discriminatory stance. Period.
All of our youth — not just some, but all — should have every opportunity to be healthy and happy. But the 700% increase in calls to The Trevor Project is a heartbreaking testament to the new surge of fear and uncertainty that’s gripping this already-vulnerable community. The message is clear: their rights, safety, and very identity are under attack, the stakes are high, and the consequences are dire.
In the face of this hostility, it’s vital to amplify support and resources — and to be vocal in our support for these kids, who deserve to hear how much they matter.
The Trevor Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386 (24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention)
TrevorChat: Confidential online instant messaging with a counselor (24/7)
TrevorText: Text START to 678-678 (24/7)
Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860 (US)