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A recent analysis highlights the rise in incidents and the critical role of crisis services for LGBTQ+ youth in the wake of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
An examination of F.B.I.s data reveals a significant uptick in hate crimes against LGBTQ+ students, especially pronounced in states enacting laws that limit LGBTQ+ rights. This surge in incidents on K-12 campuses, which have quadrupled in such states, mirrors a broader national conflict over LGBTQ+ youth rights, the Washington Postreports.
The number of anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes serious enough to be reported to local police more than doubled nationwide between the periods of 2015-2019 and 2021-2022. Specifically, the analysis found that during the years 2015 to 2019, the annual average of reported hate crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals on both college and K-12 campuses was 108. This number sharply increased in 2021 and 2022, with the average annual reported hate crimes rising to 232, more than doubling the previous rate. This dramatic increase underscores the escalating challenges and dangers faced by LGBTQ+ students in educational settings across the country, particularly in the 28 states that have enacted laws restricting the rights of LGBTQ+ students, where the increase in reported hate crimes has been even more pronounced.
Central to this discourse are the stories of Oklahoma teen Nex Benedict and Carden of Virginia, illustrating the severe personal ramifications of a polarized legislative and social climate. Benedict’s tragic death in February a day after a school fight at Owasso High School starkly exemplifies the potentially fatal consequences of an environment steeped in restrictive laws and prejudice.
Carden, a 17-year-old transgender student, brings to light the daily challenges LGBTQ+ youth face. Carden’s encounters with harassment and bullying are a direct consequence of a societal and political atmosphere that often does not protect the most vulnerable. Carden shared with the Post that it’s some parents who foster bigotry in their children.
“Kids parrot these ideas in their head, it’s like, ‘Oh, my parents think…” Carden said.
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This insight reflects the deep impact of adult opinions on youth behavior, contributing to a culture where bullying and discrimination can thrive. In another instance, Carden recounted that twice last fall, a group of ninth-grade boys at Carden’s school harassed him for his gender identity — once calling him “queer” in a derogatory tone.
The Washington Post also highlights the increased demand for LGBTQ+ youth crisis services, correlating it with the legislative landscape and emphasizing the broader mental health crisis among LGBTQ+ youth. Organizations like The Trevor Project have seen a dramatic uptick in crisis contacts. According to the Post, in the fiscal year ending in July 2022, The Trevor Project fielded about 230,000 crisis contacts, including phone calls, texts, and online chats—a number that more than doubled the following year to exceed 500,000.
Similarly, the Rainbow Youth Project, a nonprofit focusing on crisis response and counseling for at-risk
LGBTQ+ youth reported a significant increase in calls to its hotline, rising from about 1,000 per month in 2022 to over 1,400 per month the following year. A substantial portion of these calls were attributed to the anti-LGBTQ+ political rhetoric surrounding laws and policies that limit rights at school. Lance Preston, the founder and executive director of the Rainbow Youth Project, told the Post, “Young people will say, ‘My government hates me,’ ‘My school hates me,’ ‘They don’t want me to exist.’” This sentiment is deeply felt among LGBTQ+ youth, he warned.
