Michigan has made progress with LGBTQ rights, but LGBTQ youth in the state are still struggling with mental health. That's according to a survey by the Trevor Project.
The annual survey of LGBTQ Americans ages 13 to 24 asked respondents about their mental health over the last year. Over half said recent politics negatively impacted their well-being “a lot.”
The Trevor Project works to prevent suicide among LGBTQ young people.
Results for Michigan youth found:
- 37% of all respondents reported seriously considering suicide (that number rose to 42% for trans and nonbinary youth)
- 68% reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety
- 52% of all respondents reported experiencing symptoms of depression (that number rose to 57% for trans and nonbinary youth)
- 45% identified home as an LGBTQ-affirming space
Those numbers are pretty close to national rates from the same survey.
Lorina Karreci is an associate director in the Integrated Health Department at the Ruth Ellis Center in Highland Park. That’s a non-profit that provides resources for LGBTQ youth. The data reflect what she sees on a daily basis in her work there, she said.
“While the numbers are always striking, they are not necessarily surprising,” Karreci said. Some challenges, like unstable housing, barriers to affirming health care and other economic hardships have been pretty consistent, she said.
But the current political climate isn’t helping, Karreci said.
“When LGBTQ+ young people see supportive policies [and] affirming messages, it fosters a sense of safety and belonging for them,” she said. “But when they come across harmful rhetoric [and] politics that threaten their rights or safety, it's no surprise that it would contribute to stress, anxiety, feelings of isolation, mental health challenges, all of those things.”
About 35% of trans or nonbinary respondents said they or their families had contemplated leaving Michigan due to the political climate, according to the Michigan report.
LGBTQ youth keep an eye on how adults talk about them and issues that affect their lives, said Emme Zanotti, Senior Director of Movement Building & Political Affairs at Equality Michigan.
“Young people are much more attuned to what's happening in society than we give them credit for,” she said.
Michigan has taken some big steps, Zanotti said. She pointed to the 2023 expansion of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity. And in January, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed two new laws that would make it easier for Michigan residents to change their names and birth certificates.
“What that tells trans people is that it's them who has control and access to their self-determination, not the government,” she said. “Knowing that the state of Michigan is a place where our existence is literally codified in statute [is] very, very, very powerful.”
But she and Karreci agreed the state could do more.
“While there's been some progress, there's still a lot of challenges,” Karreci said. And the Trevor Project’s survey results illustrate some of those challenges.
The Ruth Ellis Center is focused on solutions for LGBTQ youth, Karreci said.
“If the world isn't always going to be a safe space, can we make at least Ruth Ellis Center and other entities that we have at least a little bit of control over a little bit safer for the youth,” she said.
Adults owe it to LGBTQ youth to care more, Zanotti said.
“We talk about Midwest values a lot, and I'm not sure LGBTQ young people see that when they see efforts to defund library systems just because they created safe spaces for LGBTQ people,” she said. “It's incumbent upon the adults in the room to get back to some real family values, human values in our state.”
Lack of positive representation is a problem, too, Zanotti said.
“It's really critical right now that our leaders, both nationally and here in the state of Michigan, find a way to be more vocal in support of these young people,” she said. “Because we believe it will save lives.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, you can contact one of the following hotlines:
- National Suicide Prevention Line: 988
- Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860
- Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386
