Family support can make a significant difference for Black trans youth as they face mounting stress and discrimination, according to a new report from the Trevor Project. Even if parents are unsure of where to start, or how to talk to their kids about gender identity, longtime advocates and mental health providers suggest that simple ways to show acceptance can have a profound impact.
The Trevor Project report provides a crucial look into the experiences of Black transgender and nonbinary youth at a time when the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth as a whole continues to deteriorate and Black students in particular lack adequate mental health support in schools. State bills targeting trans youth proliferating across the country are further negatively affecting the mental health of trans youth, especially in states where they become law.
The analysis highlights the differences in experiences between Black cisgender queer youth, compared to Black transgender and nonbinary youth. Black trans youth are facing greater discrimination — plus grappling with more anxiety and depression — than cis Black queer youth, according to data collected by the Trevor Project as part of its annual national survey.
Research shows over and over again that trans youth have higher rates of mental health distress and suicidality than queer cisgender youth — which is probably shared across most racial groups, said Bianca D.M. Wilson, senior scholar of public policy at the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.
However, Wilson said that the Trevor Project’s analysis is a significant reminder that Black youth — particularly trans and queer Black youth — are experiencing psychological distress, and adults need to pay attention.
Read more at 19thNews.org.
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