Anti-Transgender Political Rhetoric Played an Outsized Role in the 2026 U.S. Midterm Elections – The Trevor Project

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94% of transgender and nonbinary youth said recent anti-LGBTQ+ politics caused stress or anxiety, more than 8 in 10 said it made them feel unsafe
November 4, 2026 – In the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, voters weighed in on five state ballot initiatives impacting transgender youth. Measures called for restrictions on transgender young people’s access to healthcare, sports, and school facilities in Washington, Colorado, Nebraska, Arizona, and Missouri. 
Initial election results show that Missouri’s anti-transgender ballot initiative failed, voters in Nebraska and Arizona voted in favor of their state’s anti-transgender measures, and outcomes in Colorado and Washington remain too early to call. In addition to state ballot measures, hundreds of millions of dollars were spent on anti-transgender political ads in elections across the country. 
Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen (he/him), Senior Vice President of Public Engagement Campaigns at The Trevor Project, released the following statement in response:
“If there is one takeaway from the 2026 midterms, it’s that politicians must stop attacking transgender young people in hopes of political gain. With ballot initiatives in five states and hundreds of millions of dollars in anti-transgender attack ads, the 2026 U.S. midterm elections were a historic showing for anti-trans political forces. In many races all across the U.S., voters rejected anti-transgender political rhetoric and, instead, cast their votes based on the issues that mattered most to them.
“However, it is important to underscore that multiple states advanced ballot measures that restrict the rights of transgender young people. The Trevor Project’s peer-reviewed research found that transgender and nonbinary youth living in states where anti-transgender state laws were enacted reported up to a 72% increase in past-year suicide attempts. 
“No matter your personal politics, or who you voted for, it’s important to recognize that the hostile political environment takes a toll on transgender youth mental health that lasts long after elections end. Transgender and nonbinary youth face disproportionate rates of suicide risk not because of who they are, but because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized. 
“Across every state and every political party, leaders should let these young people and their families live their lives – not attack them further to score political points. Transgender people are people. Transgender kids are kids. And they deserve to grow up in a country that respects and supports them, just like all kids do.”
Relevant research & resources:
If you or someone you know needs help or support, The Trevor Project’s trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help, or by texting START to 678678.
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The Trevor Project’s mission is to end suicide among LGBTQ+ young people.

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