According to a report reveals that nearly 80% of LGBTQ+ adults in the United States have reported feeling less secure due to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
In recent years, the significant increase in the enactment of anti-LGBTQ+ laws will have consequences that extend well beyond the written text of these legislations.
To illustrate, a recent survey conducted as part of the LGBTQ+ Community Survey, carried out by the LGBTQ+ market research firm Community Marketing & Insights in collaboration with the Human Rights Campaign, reveals that nearly 80% of LGBTQ+ adults in the United States have reported feeling less secure due to such legislation.
The survey, published in late July, involved nearly 15,000 participants from all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, and took place between April and June of the current year. The survey covered various topics, including respondents’ relationship status, preferred gender and sexuality terminology, as well as their sentiments regarding recent anti-LGBTQ+ bills. The Human Rights Campaign has recently released new findings from this survey, specifically focusing on people’s reactions to anti-transgender legislation.
The startling statistic mentioned above was even more alarming among transgender and nonbinary adults, with a staggering 94% expressing that they felt unsafe due to recent restrictions on gender-affirming healthcare. Additionally, nearly 90% of transgender adults believed that these bans exacerbated harmful discrimination and stigma against the LGBTQ+ community, a sentiment shared by 81% of LGBTQ+ adults in general.
Furthermore, the real-world consequences of this legislation are profoundly distressing. Of those surveyed, 43% revealed that bans on gender-affirming care had a detrimental impact on their own physical or mental health, or that of someone they knew. Among transgender adults, over 80% reported experiencing similar negative effects.
Accordingly, a significant portion of LGBTQ+ adults expressed a willingness to uproot their lives in order to continue gender-affirming care. Over half (53%) of trans adults reported that they would leave (or have already left) a state that enacted a ban, whereas 34% of LGBTQ+ adults overall said the same. An astonishing 45% of trans adults reported that they would even leave the country if a state or country-level ban on gender-affirming care was passed, whereas 21% of LGBTQ+ adults overall said that they would leave. (Thus far, the 21 state-level blanket bans that have been passed thus far only apply to youth, although in some states like Florida, adults’ access to care has been severely limited as well.) Luckily, some cities and even states have passed sanctuary bills for trans people who flee their states in order to seek care, including New York, California, New Jersey, and Minnesota. However, there was also a small but significant portion of LGBTQ+ adults who were committed to sticking it out in their own states. Eight percent of LGBTQ+ adults and 7.5% of trans adults stated that they wanted to stay in their state in order to fight back against bans on gender-affirming care.ChatGPT
In line with this, a substantial number of LGBTQ+ adults expressed their readiness to make major life changes to continue receiving gender-affirming care. More than half (53%) of transgender adults mentioned they would relocate or have already relocated from a state that implemented a ban, while 34% of LGBTQ+ adults, in general, shared this sentiment. An astonishing 45% of transgender adults even expressed their willingness to leave the country if a state or country-level ban on gender-affirming care were to be enacted, compared to 21% of LGBTQ+ adults as a whole. (It’s worth noting that, up to this point, the 21 state-level blanket bans that have been enacted exclusively target youth, though in some states like Florida, access to care for adults has also been significantly limited.)
Fortunately, certain cities and even states have passed sanctuary laws to provide support for transgender individuals who flee their home states to seek care. These places include New York, California, New Jersey, and Minnesota. However, there remains a small yet determined group of LGBTQ+ adults who are committed to staying in their respective states to resist bans on gender-affirming care. Eight percent of LGBTQ+ adults, along with 7.5% of transgender adults, expressed their intent to remain in their states and fight against these restrictions.
The information further reinforces the increasing evidence regarding the indirect consequences of these bills and laws, beyond their legislative impact. A survey conducted in 2022 revealed that 85% of transgender and nonbinary youth indicated that their mental well-being had been adversely affected by state-level efforts to undermine transgender rights. Ultimately, these surveys merely validate what many LGBTQ+ individuals have been expressing through personal experiences and anecdotes.