Seventy-five percent reported experiencing discrimination based on their sexuality or gender identity 70% reported their mental health as “poor ” and 42% seriously considered suicide, including over half of trans kids. The 2021 Trevor Project survey of LGBTQ youth found that these kids are still under an awful lot of stress because of who they are. That doesn’t mean everything is fine, however.
That’s not because they’re being indoctrinated or some other right-wing garbage, but because it’s safer to explore sexuality and gender identity now than it ever has been, and coming out is much, much less dangerous. More members of Gen Z identify as queer than any other generation: fully 1 out of every 5 adult Gen Zers say they are LGBTQ. Acceptance of LGBTQ people has steadily increased, and issues that used to be hugely divisive, like same-sex marriage, are favored by large majorities. For a while, though, it seemed like things might be getting better.
Trust me, I know growing up in the 80s and 90s as a kid who didn’t exactly conform to gender norms was not fun. This year, all of a sudden, LGBTQ rights are being rolled back in the one place where openness, inclusivity, and acceptance does the most good: the nation’s classrooms.
