Wednesday, April 13, 2022 | 2 a.m.
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LGBTQ+ Nevadans are fortunate to live in a state with many non-discrimination and equality protections. Sadly, for much of the rest of the country, that is not the case. In fact, 75% of states are introducing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation — the most we’ve seen in history.
Considerable media attention has been given to the anti-LGBTQ+ policies in Florida and Texas. The bill in Florida, which was recently signed into law, is dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by opponents, because it prohibits discussion about sexual orientation and gender identity in primary classrooms. Also, teachers may be required to notify parents if a student wants to use a different name or pronoun in class. Supporters of the bill say it protects parental rights. Advocates opposed to the bill say it attempts to censor and erase LGBTQ+ people, putting vulnerable students at risk of being outed.
GLSEN, a national organization that works to uphold the rights of LGBTQ+ students, found in its 2019 national survey that a hostile school climate, which the Don’t Say Gay bill will create, “affects students’ academic success and mental health,” and these students “have worse educational outcomes and poorer psychological well-being.”
Meanwhile, in Texas, parents of transgender children are faced with a stark decision — either support their transgender children or face the possibility of a child abuse investigation if they support their child transitioning to the gender that fits their identity. However, medical providers and scholars recommend gender-affirming care as the best way to support a child who is transgender. Gender-affirming care, which includes (reversible) puberty blockers, is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatricians and is seen as evidenced-based patient care. Nonetheless, a directive written in a letter by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott states that certain types of transgender health care, including puberty blockers, can legally constitute child abuse.
Research done by Cornell University has found that medical and social support for gender-affirming care enhances young transgender people’s quality of life.
Advocates have worked for decades to educate people on what it means to be LGBTQ+ by dispelling myths and encouraging parents and caregivers to accept their children when they come out. Research shows that the more accepting a parent/caregiver is of their LGBTQ+ child, the less likely the child is to have negative health and well-being outcomes. In an unfortunate twist of irony, now that more and more parents are accepting of their LGBTQ+ children, state legislation across the country is being introduced that punishes those parents.
These policies are solutions in search of problems that do not exist. Although they purport to extend rights to parents and protect children, these harmful policies politicize a family’s private choices. Now, some parents question if their child is going to grow up safely while public conversations in the media and at community meetings send messages to young people that they must continue to fight for their humanity, which can be taxing on their mental health.
The Trevor Project, a national organization that provides information and support to LGBTQ+ young people, conducted a national survey on LGBTQ+ youth mental health in 2021 and found that more than half of transgender and nonbinary youths considered attempting suicide in the past year.
Nevada
In our state, the landscape of LGBTQ+ equality is much more positive, though we still have a long way to go to create a world that is healthy, just and fully equal for LGBTQ+ Nevadans — especially when it comes to equality and protections for gender diverse people.
In 2021, Gov. Steve Sisolak signed into law an inclusive curriculum bill that requires students to learn more about major figures and events pertaining to historically underrepresented racial populations, including the LGBTQ+ population. Also, an inclusive State Seal of Civics Program bill was signed into law. It must be noted that learning about key historical figures and events related to the LGBTQ+ community is not sex education, which some critics inaccurately suggest.
Additionally, a bill was signed into law in 2021 that requires single-stall bathrooms to be gender-neutral, which will benefit gender-diverse people and those living with disabilities.
Many more protections exist for LGBTQ+ Nevadans that have taken decades to achieve. And there is still more to be done.
For the 2023 legislative session, Silver State Equality has prioritized legislation that would require certain health insurance to cover gender-affirming care. We also plan to advocate for legislation that would give non-discrimination protections to inmates who identify as transgender — two pieces of legislation that did not pass in 2021.
The fight for equality in Nevada means protecting the rights, bodies and well-being of LGBTQ+ Nevadans — young and old. We must do everything we can to mitigate the national and highly funded, coordinated effort to restrict LGBTQ+ people’s freedom to enjoy life in public and in private. We cannot tolerate the overreach of groups who use transgender children and teens as wedges, rather than focusing on real issues such as teacher shortages and students struggling with mental health.
If you know of a young person, age 13-24, who is struggling with their mental health and needs someone to talk to, they can text ‘START’ to 678-678 or call 1-866-488-7386 to reach someone at the Trevor Project.
André Wade is state director for Silver State Equality, a an LGBTQ+ civil rights organization.
