Despite progress, trans youth face rocky start for social acceptance

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of gay-straight alliance groups peppered throughout high schools in America. American teenagers are coming out at younger and younger ages and are increasingly being met with the love and support of their parents and their families. In other words, today’s climate for young gay, lesbian and bisexual youth, while far from trouble-free, has never been better. But for young trans people, the stigmas, bullying and lack of support from their families illustrates the enormous gulf that still exists for social acceptance.

The National Center for Transgender Equality recently released a poll showing the various consequences encountered by trans youth by comparing those whose families accepted them and those that did not. In almost every category – drug/alcohol use, sex/underground work and incarceration, trans youth who came from supportive families had half the rate of those who did not. However, insofar as homelessness and attempted suicide were concerned, trans youth whose families rejected them were three times as likely to experience homelessness and twice as likely to attempt suicide.

And, according to a report on AlJazeera.com, “nearly three-fifths of those who identify as trans — an umbrella term for a wide variety of identities, including those who identify as transgender or with a nonconforming gender — experience significant family rejection. In 2011 there were an estimated 700,000 people identifying as trans in the United States. The rejection they experience is “significantly more negative” than that experienced by people who identify as lesbian, gay and bisexual. Rejection at home plays a role in a very high suicide attempt rate. Approximately 40 percent of people who identify as trans or nongender have attempted suicide, compared with fewer than two percent nationwide.

Ironically, and sadly, many trans youth who seek support do so in an environment free from other members of the LGBT youth community. Katherine Newman, who ran one such group, put it this way, “Many of our youth found our group because they didn’t feel comfortable at their GSAs,” she said. “As that title reflects, it is for gay- and straight-identified youth, not necessarily for trans-identified youth. Trans-identified and nongender youth can even be misunderstood by lesbians, gays and bisexuals. For them as well as for straight people, youths who identify as trans frequently have to explain their identity,” said Newman. “Often, trans-identified youth are in a position where they constantly have to educate people about what ‘trans’ means,” she explained. “They essentially have to justify themselves.”

Overwhelming support shows, as with gay, lesbian and bisexual youth, the support of families is critical to trans youth in dealing with the myriad issues confronting them.