3-7-23
The dark path the Republican Party is going down is getting more and more twisted and dangerous. It’s truly horrifying what is going on, for it goes way beyond just Trump. Republicans around the country are pushing legislation that is based on ignorance, intolerance, and full-blown prejudice. Here are just a few examples.
Around the United States, Republicans are pushing legislation that is blatantly targeting the LGBTQ community, and they don’t seem to care that such laws will increase the suffering of queer people and increase LGBTQ suicide rates, especially among young people. Consider the following statistics that were compiled by the Trevor Project in a 2021 survey of almost 35,000 LGBTQ youth (ages of 13 to 24). 42% of LGBTQ youth had seriously considered suicide in the past year, and for Transgender/Nonbinary youth, that number was 52%. 72% of LGBTQ young people reported symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder in the previous two weeks, and only 1 in 3 indicated that they lived in an LGBTQ affirming home. During the previous 12 months, 48% said that they wanted professional counseling but had not received it, and LGBTQ youth who had been subjected to conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to attempt suicide when compared to those who had not been subjected to the barbaric practice.
Now, think about those numbers. I mean really think about them. And remember that these statistics are from before the glut of 2022/2023 anti-LGBTQ legislation. Clearly, “don’t say gay” laws will worsen these numbers since they make queer students feel more isolated, out of place, and alone in addition to limiting the ability of school staff from helping out when needed. This latter point is very significant when you consider that only one in three queer minors felt like they live in an LGBTQ affirming home.
In addition to these horrible “don’t say gay” laws, Republicans around the country are also pushing for legislation that bans gender-affirming care for minors. Remember that even before these laws, 52% of Transgender youth in 2021 indicated that they had seriously considered suicide during the previous 12 months. Numerous studies have shown that gender-affirming care for Trans+ (Transgender, Nonbinary, etc) minors improves quality of life and thus decreases suicide rates. This is why the major American medical associations support gender-affirming care for minors. And the thing is, gender-affirming care is not done lightly. Numerous people (the individual in question, their parents, doctors, counselors etc) are involved in deciding whether gender-affirming care is warranted or not. The other thing to remember is that gender-affirming care for minors that goes beyond clothing, counseling, etc typically consists of medication such as puberty blockers and hormone treatments, both of which can be stopped at any time. It is actually very rare for individuals under the age of 18 to receive any kind of gender altering surgery. Yet despite all the evidence showing how gender-affirming care for minors works, Republicans around the country are trying to ban it despite the fact that such bans will clearly increase the suffering and suicide rates of Trans+ youth.
This wave of anti-LGBTQ sentiment and policy being promoted by the Republican Party is based on ignorance, intolerance, and blatant prejudice. It is worsening the quality of life of LGBTQ people and will undoubtedly increase suicide rights. This is why we all need to stand against the bigotry being blatantly pushed by the Republican Party. It’s important for people to speak out when they can in order to make it clear that such horrendous prejudice will not be tolerated. Trying to spend our money in places and businesses that are pro-LGBTQ and avoiding those that are anti-LGBTQ is another tactic we can utilize. When considering going on vacation, instead of going to a place like Florida (which is passing anti-LGBTQ bills into law), consider going to a state like California instead.
And VOTE! Vote against Republicans that are pushing these and other bigoted, intolerant laws. Vote them out of office and put in elected officials who protect things like LGBTQ rights, women’s reproductive rights, educational institutions, and more.
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