Over 250,000 LGBTQ+ young people and their families in the United States have moved to different states primarily due to politics and laws concerning LGBTQ+ rights, based on a recent report that examines how this community is responding to increasingly hostile legal environments.

The report by The Trevor Project and the Movement Advancement Project found that 90% of LGBTQ+ youth feel that political issues are affecting their overall well-being. Additionally, 40% have contemplated relocating because of harsh LGBTQ+ laws or policies where they currently live.

This figure rises for transgender and nonbinary individuals, with 94% indicating that politics have negatively impacted their mental health, and nearly half (45%) have thought about moving elsewhere.

“It’s incredibly disheartening to see that almost half of transgender and nonbinary youth have considered relocating due to anti-LGBTQ+ policies,” stated Steven Hobaica, a research scientist at The Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to preventing LGBTQ+ youth suicide. “The constant flow of anti-LGBTQ+ news can be overwhelming for many young people.”

While only 4% of LGBTQ+ individuals aged 13 to 24 reported moving because of hostile policies, this percentage corresponds to an estimated 266,000 young people and their families based on population figures gathered by LGBTQ+ advocacy groups.

New Challenges Under the Trump Administration

The report coincides with President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, who has made gender identity issues a key aspect of his agenda. On his first day back, Trump enacted several executive orders aimed at reducing legal protections for transgender Americans in federal roles and indicated that the government would officially recognize only two genders: male and female.

“Regardless of one’s political stance, our research shows that these types of policies have a harmful effect on the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth,” said Janson Wu, the senior director of state advocacy and government affairs at The Trevor Project.

On Inauguration Day, the organization noted a 33% rise in individuals seeking crisis support, but this was still less than the sevenfold increase observed on the day following the 2024 election.

“It’s crucial that we all understand that the lives of real young people are at stake, regardless of political views or opinions about the current administration,” emphasized Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black.

In recent years, there has been a notable rise in state laws that specifically target the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly focusing on transgender youth.

“It is vital that we not only highlight the negative effects of these political attacks but also stress that more inclusive policies lead to improved outcomes for LGBTQ+ youth across various metrics,” said Logan Casey, director of policy research for the Movement Advancement Project.

Negative Environments Impact Mental Health

The organizations conducted this report due to a shortage of research addressing how LGBTQ+ youth react to unfavorable policy environments, even though existing studies indicate these groups face heightened mental health concerns and an increased risk of suicide in such climates.

“Understanding how LGBTQ+ young people respond to their current policy landscape is essential for advocates and policymakers to craft or amend policies that better support these youths and their families,” the report stated.

This joint report is based on findings from The Trevor Project’s 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People, which gathered data from over 18,600 LGBTQ+ individuals aged 13 to 24. It also includes information from the Movement Advancement Project, a Boulder, Colorado-based organization that monitors laws affecting the LGBTQ+ community across the United States and assigns a rating to each based on its positive or negative impact.

Around 27% of respondents lived in states that have negative policy ratings. Those residing in such regions were more inclined to consider moving elsewhere and more likely to seek healthcare services outside of their home state.

The report acknowledged that not all individuals and families wanting to relocate have the necessary resources to do so.

“The same issues that might hinder LGBTQ+ young people and their families from moving—such as poverty, housing discrimination, and limited job opportunities—disproportionately affect LGBTQ+ individuals of color, consequently increasing their mental health challenges and risk of suicide,” the report highlighted.