Ohio and Other States With Anti-Transgender Laws See Increased Youth Suicide Rates

Suicide attempts among transgender and nonbinary young people increased significantly in states that adopted anti-transgender laws between 2018 and 2022, a study by The Trevor Project concluded.

The study looked at suicide rates over five years in the 19 states that passed a total of 48 anti-transgender laws. Ohio was included in the study along with 33 other states, but there was no state-by-state breakdown.

Depending on the year and the state, suicide-attempt rates for youth under age 18 rose between 7% and 72%. Among young people ages 13-24 – the study’s entire cohort – suicide rates rose 38% to 48%.

The peer-reviewed article, published on Sept. 26, concluded that there is a need to “consider the mental health impact of recent anti-transgender laws and to advance protective policies.”

According to the study, laws that were reviewed include those that limit access to gender-affirming care or to bathrooms, as well as laws that prohibit transgender and nonbinary youth from participating in sports teams or other activities that match their gender identity.

There are five bills in the Ohio Statehouse that would negatively affect transgender people, if passed. An Ohio anti-transgender bill that has already passed is HB 68, which bans gender-affirming care for minors. The bill became law and was recently upheld by Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) plans to appeal the decision.

TransOhio, a nonprofit supporting transgender people in the state, sees the “stress caused and harm done to trans youth” firsthand, said Dara Adkison, the organization’s executive director.

“Even just the proposal of bills has a negative effect on trans people across the state, and we help so many harmed by these anti-trans bills,” Adkison said. “It’s incredibly important to see the mental health effects of anti-trans legislation highlighted – though all too often, suicide attempt rates are connected to queerness, not to the hate-mongers trying to create an environment of stress, fear and bigotry.”

In his work with PFLAG, Cleveland Heights psychologist Jes Sellers said he has “encountered numerous trans individuals and worried family members who are experiencing heightened levels of manifested anxiety and fear as they face overt, politically fueled discrimination in Ohio. The CDC’s Youth Risk Survey provides us with compelling data that transgender youth are indeed at greater risk for serious mental health problems.”

State Rep. Jodi Whitted (D-28) was “saddened, but not surprised” by The Trevor Project’s study – as a social worker, an LGBTQ+ government official and “a human who cares about others.”

“I am continually amazed that members of our legislature, and some individuals running for office, continue to prioritize and champion legislation that evidence shows has led to the death of children,” she said. “If there is a young person out there reading this article, and seeing this quote, I want you to know that I value you for who you are. You are the future of Ohio and there are people in the Statehouse who are fighting for you and your families.”

The Buckeye Flame reached out to State Rep. Beth Lear (R-61) and State Rep. Gary Click (R-88) and did not receive a response.

Click was enlisted by the Center for Christian Virtue to co-sponsor HB 68, the statewide ban gender affirming healthcare for minors and ban on trans female athletes in kindergarten through college.

Lear is the co-sponsor of HB 183, a bill that would require that restrooms and locker rooms in Ohio’s schools and colleges be designated for use by individuals who are one “biological sex.” It also would mandate that individuals only use the restroom that corresponds to the gender listed on their birth certificate issued at the time of their birth. In one hearing, Lear said that Ohioans who support trans youth should have “a millstone hung around [their] neck and be thrown into the deepest sea.”

Originally published by The Buckeye Flame. Republished here with permission.