Transgender Youth in America

There has been a recent uptick in the conversation surrounding nonbinary or transgender individuals in America -- particularly America’s youth. The rights of trans teenagers and children are debated, while their identities are disrespected and erased. As trans individuals feel more comfortable coming out and transitioning, the number of transgender people increases. This increase is not due to more people identifying as transgender -- it is due to more transgender people feeling comfortable sharing their identities. This increase, sometimes even referred to as an ‘epidemic’,  has led to an increase in criticism and hatred directed towards the transgender community.

 While scientific and psychological conjecture is thrown around by Senators and lawmakers, what lacks from the conversation is the voices of trans youths themselves. Here are the facts. 

Roughly 2% of youth in America  -- up to 1 million children -- are transgender. About 50% of transgender youth experience depression compared to about 20% of cis youth. ⅓ of trans youth feel unsafe at school. ⅓ have experienced sexual harassment or assault within the past year, compared to 1 in 10 cis youth. 35% of trans youth attempted suicide in the past year. That is hundreds of thousands of children. When you look at the way trans youth are treated, by their peers, family members, mentors, religious leaders, the media, their government, it’s no mystery why. 

Transgender youth not being allowed to transition before puberty is harmful to their development. Many are not allowed to transition for fear that they might change their mind or that the medications are unsafe (which has no substantial evidence to support it). The effects of transition are more reversible than the psychological damage and trauma associated with not transitioning. Being forced through cis puberty is a traumatic experience that hurts trans youth long into adulthood. 

Transgender and nonbinary youth are not confused or wrong for having an identity that our society makes little space for. They deserve the respect, understanding, and dignity that all humans deserve. Respecting a trans youth’s pronouns and identity costs nothing to you but means everything to them. The hypothetical, baseless, borderline mythological effects of the so-called ‘epidemic’ of trans youth sweeping America are microscopic and diminutive compared to the actual, violent effects of trans suppression. 

** Date presented in this article comes from the Trevor Project 2019 Report: Data on Transgender Youth. For more information, please visit https://www.thetrevorproject.org/