Have You Heard the News? The Effects of Exposure to News About Recent Transgender Legislation on Transgender Youth and Young Adults

INTRODUCTION: Over the last 3 years, there has been a proliferation of legislation aimed at restricting the rights of transgender Americans, including their access to gender-affirming health care. While the health implications of not having access to gender-affirming care are well documented, there may be additional indirect harms associated with proposing this type of legislation, such as those associated with being exposed to negative messages about transgender people or having to contend with friends and family who support the legislation. METHODS: This study was conducted between September and November 2021 and used a mixed-methods design to examine the implications of consuming news related to the recently proposed legislation as well as perceiving that people in one’s social network support such legislation on the health and well-being of transgender youth and young adults (n = 113). RESULTS: Results showed that news consumption was associated with increased rumination and physical health symptoms and that perceived support for the legislation was associated with greater rumination, depressive symptoms, physical health symptoms, and fear of disclosing one’s identity. Themes from the open-ended questions further underscored that the current legislation has impacted transgender youth and young adults’ access to general health care; increased experiences of discrimination and other maltreatment; and resulted in some respondents engaging in unhealthy coping responses. CONCLUSIONS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS: Policy makers should consider these adverse consequences when responding to current, and crafting future, legislation directed at transgender Americans.