Impact of Gender-Affirming Care Bans on Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth: Parental Figures' Perspective

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth in the United States are met with systemic barriers that affect their physical and mental health. Recent scholarship has found that TGD youth have been negatively impacted as a result of antitransgender federal, state, and local laws and bills. Given the crucial role of parental figures in the well-being of TGD youth (e.g., supporting their child's health-care decisions), parents can provide important insight about the experiences of their children as they navigate the effects of antitransgender legislation. This study aimed to explore parental figures' perceptions of how bans on gender affirming care affect their TGD child and parental figures' advice for legislators/policymakers regarding the impact of these laws and bills on the well-being of TGD youth. Responses to an online survey with 134 self-identified parental figures of TGD youth were analyzed. Thematic analysis revealed five themes regarding the impact that these antitransgender laws and bills have on TGD youth, including (a) depression and suicidal ideation/risk of suicide, (b) anxiety, (c) increased gender dysphoria, (d) decreased safety and increased stigma, and (e) lack of access to medical care. Parental figures also provided direct feedback to legislators/policymakers regarding the impact of these laws and bills on the well-being of TGD youth, including (a) transgender youth health is not a political issue, (b) decriminalize gender affirming medical care, (c) decrease discrimination and violence against transgender people, and (d) become educated on transgender health-care issues. Recommendations for research and practice are discussed.