Key Takeaways:
· Around 400 anti-LGBT bills have been introduced in the last year (2021)
· LGBT Youth and adults are at four times the risk of suicide than their peers
· The political climate of LGBT rights does not match social opinion
"Washington DC" by barnyz is marked with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
In 2021 alone almost 400 anti-LGBT bills were introduced across the United States. The bill’s topics included criminalizing gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth even if they had parental consent, banning comprehensive sex-education from school curriculum, and the seemingly most popular topic, blocking transgender youth from playing sports.
As of Jan. 28, 2022, there are already around 120 anti-LGBT bills popping up throughout the U.S. The American Civil Liberties Union does not see these legislative actions stopping either.
While many of the bills did not pass in 2021 and were opposed or fell through at different points in the legislative process, it still begs the question, “Why are all of these bills being introduced, especially if the majority flop?”
Both the Center for American Progress and Political Research Associates state that these bills are part of a coordinated campaign against the LGBT community, specifically against transgender youth. One bill that did pass through Arkansas in 2021 banned transgender healthcare for transgender youth that included their immediate stop of gender-affirming care and penalizes medical personnel for providing this care.
The implications of these actions for the U.S. make it look like we as a nation are backtracking on our civil rights progress. After all, sodomy was illegal until 2003 and same-sex marriage was only legalized seven years ago in 2015. Additionally, the repercussions on LGBT youth and people in general are severe. Overall, 94 percent of LGBTQ youth have reported that recent politics negatively impacted their mental health in the past year.
In a recent survey, The Trevor Project found that 66 percent of LGBTQ youth reported that debates about state laws that restrict the rights of transgender people have negatively affected their mental health. 85 percent of transgender and/or gender-nonconforming youth were found to have the same reports.
Politics aside, LGBT youth are still four times more likely to experience feelings of depression and anxiety than their straight and/or cisgender peers are. The Trevor Project also randomly surveys LGBT youth every year to release an annual report. In 2021 they found that 42 percent of participants had seriously considered suicide. However, LGBT youth, and especially transgender and gender-nonconforming youth who had access to gender-affirming healthcare and/or supportive and affirming spaces reported lower rates of attempting suicide.
What this means is that providing environments and supports for LGBT youth, and adults, is important to their overall health and existence and in the past year this has not been the case of American politics. Additionally, the stress and living situations caused by the Covid-19 pandemic have only worsened situations.
However, this does not mean that the situation is hopeless. While there have been a combined 520 anti-LGBT bills proposed between 2021 and 2022 thus far, there are states that have introduced tighter guidelines for anti-discrimination laws for LGBT individuals in addition to same-sex parent adoption protections.
Public opinion is also changing with 70 percent of U.S. citizens supporting same-sex marriage. Gallup's recent Mood of the Nation poll also showed a nearly record high in satisfaction with how the LGBT community is supported. The visibility of LGBT people is also higher than ever with social media, not to mention their existence is no longer illegal.
There are also sites that compile and create ongoing petitions to protect LGBT rights that address specific bills. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center also shares resources for petitions, contacting representatives and getting involved with local protests.
While the political climate for LGBT peoples is not a tropical paradise, the social climate is very different. Outside of politics, supporters of the LGBT community are vocal and active on social media and technology makes it easy for people to create online communities and learn. Historically, a shifting social climate that does not match its politics often creates enough tension for politicians to adjust their attitude, or at the least, their laws.