Trans healthcare – and life in general – have been the subject of countless headlines and several hundred examples of proposed legislation since the last presidential election. In advance of the 2024 Harris-Trump matchup, digital healthcare service FOLX HEALTH offered Teen Vogue exclusive access to their new polling on how trans and nonbinary Americans are feeling about the political climate.
The survey got the perspectives of over 1,500 trans people, half of whom resided in states that voted Red in 2020, the other half in states that went Blue. “I won’t mince my words. Our community, myself included, is concerned about the increasing attacks on LGBTQ+ rights," FOLX CEO Liana Douillet Guzmán tells Teen Vogue.
- In the last year, 1 in 5 trans people surveyed lost access to healthcare “as a result of anti-LGBTQ policies and laws” and 58% of respondents considered moving to a different state; respondents in states with more anti-LGBTQ policies reported higher rates.
- 55% were “unable to access mental health treatment when needed, primarily due to difficulties in finding LGBTQ-affirming providers.” 2 in 3 respondents “experienced frequent mental health distress this past month,” which is higher than reported national estimates.
- 9 in 10 believe the 2024 election will have “a major impact on access to healthcare for LGBTQ people nationwide.” 67% “have made or are planning to make changes to their use of gender-affirming care due to concerns about the election.”
- 92% are anxious about the presidential election. According to FOLX, “Enthusiasm and hopelessness about the presidential election remain low, but have increased three to four times since Biden left the race.”
- When it comes to Harris vs. Trump, only 8% believed that Trump addresses LGBTQ concerns “very much so,” versus 28% for Harris.
- 90% are registered voters. The top three issues in order for the trans adults surveyed were LGBTQ+ issues, including healthcare access; threats to democracy; and the war on Gaza.
The majority of respondents reported feeling consistent negative impacts on their mental health and well-being, their relationships, and fear for their own or family’s safety “due to the prevailing political discourse;” just under 60% reported regular instances of either IRL or online bullying related to politics.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given all this, three-fourths of respondents told FOLX they were taking “preventative measures” in advance of the election’s potential outcomes, ranging from stockpiling gender-affirming medication, expediting or renewing passports, and updating other documents.
Adds Guzmán, "We are paying attention to the candidates in the race, and we will not stop advocating for our members until we achieve our goals of equitable health care and social acceptance for all queer and trans individuals.”
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