“I need it to be a brat summer for 4 years” - FOLX Community Member
Trans Perspectives on the Upcoming Election
How do transgender people feel about the political environment and the upcoming election? To get straight to the point, we are freaked out and fired up.
Read our full report here.
For many in the LGBTQ+ community, it’s a summer of anxiety, survival prepping, and deep fears about the upcoming election. We’re all keenly aware that the results of the November election will have a major impact on the LGBTQ+ community, from transgender healthcare rights to the legal definitions of families, and so much more. This legislative session alone 527 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced, many of them targeting trans people. In the presidential election and all the way down the ballot, the choices voters make will radically impact LGBTQ+ people’s ability to make choices for our own lives.
About our Report
Here at FOLX we’re the largest provider of healthcare to the LGBTQ+ community in the United States, serving more than 50,000 patients nationwide. So we have a front row seat to how this election cycle is impacting our community’s health and wellbeing. Every day, our patients talk to our clinicians about their fears, about the things that make our hearts race at night, about whether there is anything we can do to protect ourselves and our children.
We surveyed our community to get their thoughts, feelings, and actions on the upcoming election. And we did so at a dynamic time! We fielded the survey just days before President Biden decided not to run for re-election, re-sent it out after, and received more than 1,500 responses by LGBTQ+ individuals in every state across the country.
Our attached report shares key data on how the transgender* community is feeling at this time. The results show a community that is deeply impacted by and deeply engaged in the coming election. Without further ado, here they are, with some quotes strewn in throughout from our survey respondents, provided anonymously.
*we use transgender throughout to mean identifying as gender diverse, transgender, trans, genderqueer, Two Spirit, gender non-binary, and/or having a gender that is different than your sex assigned at birth, per survey respondents self-identification
“I think this election is incredibly important. In some ways it feels like the 2020 election again, especially when it comes to my anxiety. I have a lot of fear about what will happen to me, my partner, and our way of life if conservatives come to power broadly. I have to hope that Harris (who I presume will be the Democratic nominee) and that voters will defeat Trump.”
Key findings
- 1 in 5 lost access to healthcare in the past year as a result of anti-LGBTQ+ politics and laws. The impact is even greater in Republican-leaning states, where 27% are affected, compared to just 12% in Democratic-leaning states.
- 58% considered moving to a different state due to anti-LGBTQ+ politics and laws - and people living in states with more LGBT anti-discriminatory policies reported even higher rates.
- Due to the current political environment:
- 95% report experiencing negative impacts on their mental health
- 84% report experiencing fear for their family’s safety
- 82% report experiencing real-world harassment or bullying
- 86% report experiencing strained personal relationships
None of this should be surprising. In 2023 the Human Rights Campaign declared, for the first time ever, a State of Emergency for LGBTQ+ people, following the worst year on record for anti-LGBTQ+ laws and “an unprecedented and dangerous spike in anti-LGBTQ+ legislative assaults sweeping state houses.”
As the 2024 presidential election approaches, a majority of transgender voters across various age groups and genders report feeling "anxious" or "frustrated." However, they are far from apathetic; only one in ten transgender voters describe themselves as "uninterested" in the election as compared to one in five cisgender women voters.
So things were already rough out there, but the election has further ramped anxieties.
- The vast majority of our respondents (77%) reported they’re taking protective measures due to fears about what might happen this election. That includes pursuing gender-affirming care in an expedited fashion (or delaying care), stockpiling medications, updating legal documents (name, gender marker, parenting), getting married, getting passports, delaying transition care, and more.
“I am fearful of another Trump presidency. I feel my life and the lives of others are at stake. I wonder daily if I need to prepare to flee or hide. Many people are seeking more community networks for safety reasons in case things become horrific in the wake of another Trump presidency or retaliation from MAGA at a Trump loss.”
Even at the best of times, the transgender community faces significant mental health disparities. Members come to FOLX experiencing a 4-5 times higher prevalence of mental health conditions, with 33% experiencing clinical depression vs. 8% of the general population.
Now, it’s even worse.
- More than 2 in 3 respondents reported frequent mental distress with 14 or more poor mental health days in the past month. This rate is alarming considering the national estimates reported in 2021, where 33% of transgender adults and 15% of cisgender adults reported frequent mental distress.
- The average was 17 poor mental health days amongst trans respondents in the past month, 7 days more than the national rates seen among trans adults in 2021.
- More than half of respondents couldn't access mental health care when needed in the past year. One in two couldn't find an LGBTQ-affirming provider, and one in five lacked transportation or found it inconvenient.
So what are we as a community doing about this? Given the far reaching implications of the election and policy on LGBTQ+ families safety, mental health, healthcare access, and daily lives, it is unsurprising that the most important issue determining folks’ vote is LGBTQ issues.
The top sub issues are trans rights, healthcare access, and hate crime legislation, with employment discrimination, education and awareness, mental health services, and housing discrimination also top considerations for people’s votes.
Our community is aware that candidates' positions on these issues, and their beliefs about our community, vary greatly.
- 94% are “somewhat to very concerned” about a Trump presidency (and similar for a Vance Vice Presidency). Less than half that are concerned about a Harris presidency.
- 83% of people think Trump “not at all” addresses the needs and concerns of the LGBTQ community, compared to 9% of people who think Harris doesn’t.
- 79% of respondents think Harris addresses the needs and concerns of our community “somewhat” to “very much so.”
“I am terrified of Trump winning, if he wins and presses the anti-lgbtq+ legislations he's campaigning, I feel I will have to either flee the country or commit suicide. I cannot live hiding my gender and bearing gender dysphoria for the rest of my life. I want to transition, and I want to have children with my wife one day without fear of having them stolen from us, I want to live freely as myself.”
The events of the past week have transformed the discourse around the election, with respondents still anxious, but increasingly enthusiastic and hopeful as well.
- 68% of our respondents are feeling more hopeful than before Biden announced he would not be going for re-election.
- Nearly half are now hopeful, vs. just over 1 in 10 before Biden dropped out.
- Respondents also expressed 4 times as much enthusiasm, and less disinterest.
“I hope the election brings positive changes that will improve our community and provide more opportunities for growth and well-being. I'm looking forward to a future where we all benefit from better policies and leadership.”
The community is not just sitting by and hoping, however. They understand the assignment.
- 90% of our respondents are registered voters and 37% of those not yet registered plan to be before the election.
- In 2020, the Washington Post reported that LGBTQ+ voters decided the election, and this may very well likely be our role again.
So we might be scared and in survival mode, but we’re also ready to do the work. As we brace for the 2024 election, the stakes for the LGBTQ+ community couldn’t be higher. With fears running deep and protective measures on the rise, our survey reveals a community ready to show up, as we always have, for our rights and safety.
This election isn’t just a choice—it’s a high-stakes showdown that will determine our future. The intensity of our engagement and the urgency of our concerns signal a critical turning point. November will be more than a date on the calendar; it will be a test of our hope and a chance to redefine the landscape of LGBTQ+ rights. The decisions made at the polls will shape our lives and those of generations to come. Buckle up.
Download the full report here.
Methodology
A quantitative cross-sectional design was used to collect data through an online survey platform between July 17th and July 28th 2024. A sample of individuals ages 18+ who resided in the United States, including its territories, was recruited via FOLX email and social media. Respondents were defined as being trans if they answered yes to the question, “do you identify as gender diverse, transgender, trans, genderqueer, Two Spirit, gender non-binary, and/or having a gender that is different than your sex assigned at birth?” Respondents were then asked ‘how do you identify your gender?’ and were asked to select one of the following: ‘Man / Transgender Man’, ‘Woman / Transgender Woman’, or ‘Non-binary / Gender Diverse / Two-Spirit’. . Qualified respondents completed a secure online questionnaire. The questionnaire was offered in English only. Several questions about the election were taken from Kaiser Family Foundation’s Survey of Women Voters and Human Rights Campaign to facilitate comparison.
A total of 1502 individuals began the survey. Of those, 63 did not pass duplicate checks. We additionally excluded those under 18, residing outside of the United States, and those who did not identify as trans. This resulted in a final analytic sample of 1239 trans adults ages 18+ residing in the U.S.
Chi-square tests were used to examine differences between groups. Unless otherwise noted, all reported comparisons are statistically significant at least at p<0.05. This means there is less than a 5% likelihood these results occurred by chance.
This report uses “trans” as an umbrella term to encompass non-cisgender people, which includes people who are gender diverse, transgender, trans, genderqueer, Two Spirit, gender non-binary, and/or having a gender that is different from their sex assigned at birth.
Read more in the full report!
