Advocate for LGBTQ young people in 2023, Friend!

As part of our New Year's Resolution to advocate for LGBTQ young people against discriminatory and harmful policies, we want to share a new poll examining the impact these policies and debates have had on the mental health of LGBTQ young people. These findings underscore why we must continue our fight against these policies as we expect to see another record year of hateful and discriminatory anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.

Key findings:

• 86% of transgender and nonbinary youth say recent debates around anti-trans bills have negatively impacted their mental health
• 45% of trans youth report experiencing cyberbullying as a result of these policies and debates in the last year
• Nearly 1 in 3 trans youth reported not feeling safe to go to the doctor or hospital when they were sick or injured
• 75% of LGBTQ youth say that both anti-LGBTQ hate crimes and threats of violence against LGBTQ spaces often give them stress or anxiety

We invite you to join us this year in our advocacy work. We advocate for LGBTQ young people, not just to eradicate discriminatory and harmful policies, but to show them that we are here for them, we see them, and we care. There are many ways that you can get involved to support LGBTQ young people:

Stay Informed: Follow news about LGBTQ issues in your state and around the country. Stay up to date with email newsletters or alerts from organizations like The Trevor Project or the ACLU.

Get Involved: Find an organization that’s working to fight against these bills — volunteering, donating money, or even just sharing information on social media can make a difference.

Educate Others: One of the most powerful things you can do to protect LGBTQ young people is to speak to others about why these bills are so harmful. Visit our Resource Center to learn how to start the conversation.

Learn more about advocating for LGBTQ young people in 2023 here.

🌟 Fundraise for Trevor

Take your impact to the next level and start your own, unique fundraiser for Trevor today! Whether it's in-person or online, you can put your time, talent, and creativity to help Trevor provide free, confidential 24/7 suicide prevention and crisis intervention services to LGBTQ young people.

Psst! Looking for some ideas? Check out our fundraiser guide. Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions.

📊 Religion and Spirituality Among LGBTQ Youth

Religion is an active part of many young people’s lives including those who are LGBTQ. However, it has long been debated whether religion negatively or positively impacts the mental health of LGBTQ young people due to the negative experiences that many LGBTQ people have had. This report demonstrates that LGBTQ young people may be interested in participating in affirming religious communities which can have a positive impact on their mental health.

Key Findings:

• 1 in 5 LGBTQ young people reported that their religion or spirituality is important or very important to them
• 23% of LGBTQ young people reported engaging in prayer, meditation, or private reflection on their religion on at least a weekly or daily basis
• LGBTQ young people who reported that their religion or spirituality is important or very important to them reported significantly lower rates of symptoms of depression (55%) compared to LGBTQ youth for whom religion and spirituality were not at all or only a little important (58%)