In the wake of Donald Trump's presidential election victory, transgender youth across the U.S. have faced a growing mental health crisis.
Many are worried about the fate of their rights and safety as they watch anti-transgender rhetoric become central to political discourse.
During the election campaign, Trump’s messaging, including a controversial ad aired over 15,000 times, cast transgender and nonbinary people as threats to society.
A 16-year-old nonbinary teen from Alabama, deeply affected by the political ads, reached out to the Rainbow Youth Project's crisis hotline.
In just 10 days, the organization received over 5,500 calls, a dramatic increase from their usual 3,700 monthly calls.
Carolyn Fisher, the mother of the teen, spoke about how her child’s depression worsened after seeing political ads that felt like personal attacks.
With crisis counseling, her teen’s mental health improved, but bullying at school intensified.
School bullying worsened after Trump's campaign. The teen's classmates proudly taunted them, saying Trump would “force them to go back in the closet,” deepening the emotional distress.
Opposition to transgender rights became a key focus of Trump’s campaign. Ads attacking LGBTQ+ issues aired over 290,000 times on TV since March 2023.
Trump’s platform promises to roll back protections like Title IX, which ensures equal treatment for students regardless of gender identity.
Trump has also proposed policies banning transgender students from competing in sports consistent with their gender identity.
As legal protections face rollback, LGBTQ+ advocates are focusing on building supportive communities for transgender and nonbinary youth.
Armstrong, who has led protests against discriminatory laws, questions whether leaving the U.S. for safer spaces abroad would protect their community.
Rising tensions on his campus and the changing political climate have made him question his future in the state.
For many transgender and nonbinary youth, the future is uncertain.