Trump, Republicans know how they're hurting LGBTQ+ kids | Opinion
To the LGBTQ+ youth who are struggling, know that it does get better. It's corny to say, but it does.
If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services. Additional support and trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 through The Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386, or by texting START to 678678.
The kids aren’t all right – and it’s clear that the political landscape created by President Donald Trump is at least partly to blame.
According to the 2025 survey from The Trevor Project, 10% of LGBTQ+ youth attempted suicide in the past year, and 36% considered attempting suicide. When surveying only transgender and nonbinary youth, these numbers climb to 11% and 40%, respectively.
While the number of LGBTQ+ youth ages 13 to 24 who have attempted suicide is lower than it was the previous year when this survey was conducted, it’s still harrowing to see that so many young people think that ending their life is the only solution.
Suicidality isn’t the only area of mental health where LGBTQ+ youth are struggling. According to the 2025 study, 62% of LGBTQ+ youth reported symptoms of anxiety, and 47% experienced symptoms of depression. Once again, transgender and nonbinary youth were more likely to experience symptoms than their cisgender peers.
When The Trevor Project asked about the attacks on trans people and the rest of the LGBTQ+ community, a whopping 90% of LGBTQ+ young people said that the recent laws and debates over their existence have caused them stress or anxiety.
This was always going to be the conclusion of a government that is increasingly hostile to the LGBTQ+ community. The more you decry something as wrong or evil, the more young people will internalize that to mean that they are wrong or evil. These are the very real consequences of a single, powerful political party seeking to rid LGBTQ+ people from daily life.
Young LGBTQ+ people feel attacked because they are
Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has been a hallmark of the Republican agenda over the past few years.
In 2025, 616 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced across the country. Of these, 76, or a little over 12%, became laws. Most of these proposals were introduced by Republicans and passed by Republican-led legislatures.
Since January, 529 pieces of legislation have been introduced, with 24 of these bills becoming law. By simply introducing these bills, lawmakers are knowingly generating fear among the youngest members of our community who are not yet equipped with the skills to weather the hate that births policies like these.
In the Oval Office, Trump has signed a slew of executive orders designed to shut trans people out of the United States. He has signed an executive order denying trans people from using their preferred gender marker on their passports. He’s threatened federal funding for schools that teach “gender ideology.” He’s restricted access to gender-affirming care and limited the ability of trans girls to play sports. This much legislation of people’s lives would cause anyone anxiety – it’s no wonder LGBTQ+ youth feel hopeless.
When laws and executive orders like these are enacted, Trump and Republicans are knowingly hurting America's future. They are making the lives of LGBTQ+ youth harder. They aren't saving them or converting them to straightness. They are saying that the lives of these young Americans are a small price to pay to enforce gender and sexuality norms nationwide.
Despite all of this legislating against LGBTQ+ individuals, there is a bright side.
According to the Pew Research Center, 56% of adults believe there should be protections for trans people in jobs, housing and public spaces. As people come to know more LGBTQ+ individuals, I'm sure this number will increase.
To the LGBTQ+ youth: I promise it gets better
To the LGBTQ+ youth who are struggling, know that it does get better. It’s corny to say, but it does.
I thought I was ready to die when I was 17, well before I’d come out to myself, much less anyone else. As I’ve grown older, I’ve continued to struggle with suicidal ideation – but have found that a life surrounded by other LGBTQ+ people and a few allies drowns out the sound of other people’s hate.
Rely on your friends, both in person and online. Look for people with whom you can be your most authentic self. Read books and watch shows that show LGBTQ+ people living full, messy lives. Find things to look forward to – college, a job, even just a new album you can’t wait to come out. Take things one day at a time – today could be terrible, but tomorrow might not be.
If you don’t have that faith, you can borrow some of mine.
I never thought I’d see gay marriage legalized in North Carolina, my home state. Then, in 2014, it was. This presidential administration and the cruel things they’re signing into law will not last forever. Executive orders can be nullified and laws can be overturned. Truth and justice will prevail, even when it doesn’t feel that way, even when it takes longer than any of us would like.
Things change, society grows more accepting and it’s worth being around to see it.
Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on Bluesky:@sarapequeno.bsky.social