Youth Identifying As Transgender Doubled Over 5 Years
A new study shows a steep increase in transgender youth identifying this way in the US, as the numbers nearly doubled.
It probably comes as no surprise that there are more Americans identifying as transgender than ever documented before. With that increasing finding, there is just as much acceptance and pushback against the LGBTQ movement, especially in regard to transgender youth. A new study shows that the amount of young Americans identifying as transgender doubled over the last five years, and this information likely does nothing but further the divide in the growing American culture war.
The information was divulged in a publication recently released by the liberal think thank group via the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute. The group leads various research studies on sexual orientation and gender identity through law and public policy. In their recent endeavor, they focused on transgender youth and overall statistics about who in America is identifying this way. As of this year, they reported that there are more than 1.6 million transgender people 13 and older in the nation.
Collecting data between 2017 to 2020 based on numerous health surveys, the data showed interesting trends among transgender youth. For adults identifying this way, the numbers generally held steady since the last report. However, for those falling in the youngest age group of 13 to 24 years old, there was a drastic rise in those identifying as transgender.
At the time of the last report, only .7% of American children aged 13 to 24 were said to be transgender youth. Now, these age group statistics skyrocketed. Of 13 to 17-year-olds, 1.4% identified as transgender. Similarly, 1.3% of 18-24 year-olds now identify this way. Altogether, this accumulates to about 700,000 children in America.
The author of the research, Jody Herman, believes there are a few different reasons for this sharp increase in the transgender youth population. For one, she feels the old numbers may have been skewed, underreporting how many children identified as transgender. She noted that the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey did not begin asking high school students if they were transgender until 2017.
Furthermore, a greater widespread acceptance of the LGBTQ community is said to have likely led to more transgender youth coming out of the closet. While the country may be quite divided on these gender topics, another recent poll found that the majority of Americans now accept and embrace overall transgender identities. However, acceptance of transgender youth remains a heated, contentious debate for many parents.
The Human Rights Campaign reported that there are more than 130 anti-trans state laws that were introduced in 2022 alone. Much of them are centered around gender ideology and controversial debates over teachings in public schools. Outraged parents feel that schools are indoctrinating children with gender ideologies. If anything, this increase in transgender youth findings will only serve to further their beliefs.
It is hard to know what exactly is the cause for the steep rise in transgender youth that now openly identify this way. But regardless of the reasons, it is important to remember that these are children, and their voices and thoughts should not necessarily be stifled. If anything, these numbers will likely grow with each report.
