A new report from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation finds that less than a quarter of transgender or gender-nonconforming youth feel that they are able to be themselves at home or at school.
The 2018 Gender-Expansive Youth Report finds that gender-variant and gender-expansive youth often face numerous challenges and severe discrimination and harassment.
The findings, drawn from HRC’s 2017 LGBTQ Youth Survey, are drawn from the experiences of 5,600 transgender and gender-expansive youth.
At home, many youth say that their family members are hostile to the idea of not conforming to gender norms, with 72% saying they’ve heard their families make negative comments about LGBTQ people.
At school, they can be subject to bullying or harassment, which is why only 16% of transgender and gender-nonconforming youth report feeling safe at school.
“I have been taught to believe my whole life by my parents that being LGBTQA+ is a sin and should be hidden,” one survey respondent recounted.
“I simply am not comfortable with coming out because I am scared I will be persecuted for it,” wrote another.
Digging down deeper into the results from the survey, 42% of transgender youth have received physical threats due to their gender identity, and 51% never use restrooms at school that align with their gender identity.
The report finds that transgender and gender-expansive youth are more likely to be subjected to sexual harassment, with 69% reporting that they have been the target of unwanted sexual comments, jokes, or gestures.
Most troubling, those same youth are also twice as likely than their cisgender peers to be sexually assaulted or raped because of their gender identity.
The report also outlines steps that families, schools, and lawmakers can take to support and better protect transgender and gender-expansive youth, such as advocating for LGBTQ nondiscrimination laws at various levels of government, adopting transgender-friendly policies regarding school records, pronouns, name changes, or access tor restrooms and locker rooms, and providing comprehensive training for school faculty and staff.
“Amidst an onslaught of political attacks on the rights and dignity of transgender people, these harrowing results reinforce that transgender and gender-expansive youth need action and need it now,” Jay Brown, the acting senior vice president of the HRC Foundation, said in a statement. “No child should have to wake up in the morning fearful of rejection, bullying or discrimination, but for far too many transgender and gender-expansive youth that remains an everyday reality.
“All of us must meet these young people’s perseverance with our own persistence as we fight to build welcoming schools and affirming communities for youth of all gender identities.”
The Capital Pride Alliance has announced the return of the Mr., Mx., and Miss Capital Pride Pageant for 2024.
The pageant, which was held annually prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, welcomes contestants of any gender identity to compete for one of three crowns.
Contestants are judged on Pride-themed attire, talent, and answers to questions posed by a panel of judges.
Winners are expected to embody Capital Pride Alliance's commitment to diversity and inclusion, and use their platform, wit, and skills to encourage others to express their true selves and have their voices heard, especially when advocating for acceptance and equality.
Several Alabama Republicans have demanded the termination of a transgender employee at Space Camp, arguing that their presence poses a danger to participating students.
Space Camp, an educational program on the grounds of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center museum in Huntsville, Alabama, provides residential and educational programs for youth on topics such as space exploration, aviation, and robotics.
The center hosts approximately 26,000 youth annually, with specific programs for different age groups.
One of those programs, "Space Camp," primarily serves children aged 9 to 11. It seeks to balance educational, classroom-style learning with hands-on activities and entertainment offerings.
Sacramento, California, has been designated a "sanctuary city" for transgender individuals.
Last week, the Sacramento City Council approved a resolution ensuring that city resources -- including law enforcement resources -- are not used to aid in out-of-state prosecutions of people who come to California seeking out gender-affirming mental health care, hormone therapy, or surgery.
The resolution prohibits city funds from being used to cooperate with any individuals or out-of-state agencies who are investigating people for pursuing treatments that are legal in California.
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