Using Trans Kids as Political Pawns Is a Dangerous Game
A new study shows that when states pass laws targeting trans people, more trans teens attempt suicide.
Let’s be honest.
Photographer: Scott Olson/Getty ImagesSince 2020, the US has seen an explosion in laws targeting transgender youth. Hundreds of bills have sought to restrict which sport teams they can join, which bathrooms they can use and what medical care they can receive — legislation that opponents say creates a climate of fear and intimidation so severe it could lead some trans youth to suicide. Proponents, meanwhile, dismiss those claims as baseless fear-mongering. Some go so far as to suggest their policies are meant to protect kids.
Now, though, we have data. New research published in Nature Human Behavior found that after such bills passed, the rate of suicide attempts increased among transgender youth. Let this be a wake-up call to politicians who cynically seek votes by stoking fears about a marginalized group: Using these kids as political pawns is a dangerous game that is causing real harm.