A new survey reveals that many LGBTQ Americans—especially transgender and nonbinary individuals—have significantly altered their lives in response to a surge of anti-LGBTQ laws and rhetoric sweeping the country. Many respondents reported serious harm to their mental health and overall well-being as a result.
Conducted from May 29 to June 13 by NORC’s AmeriSpeak panel for the Movement Advancement Project, the online survey polled 1,055 LGBTQ adults nationwide, including 111 who identified as transgender or nonbinary. Operated by NORC at the University of Chicago, AmeriSpeak is a probability-based panel designed to reflect the U.S. household population. Randomly selected households are contacted through mail, email, phone, or in-person interviews.
The survey found that most LGBTQ people—and especially transgender and nonbinary respondents—say that anti-LGBTQ laws and rhetoric have negatively impacted their mental health. Overall, 41% reported their mental health was “somewhat” negatively affected, while another 20% said it was affected “very” negatively. Among transgender and nonbinary respondents, 40% said their mental health was “somewhat” negatively affected, and 44% said it was affected “very” negatively.
Across all levels of government—federal, state, and local—most LGBTQ people reported that anti-LGBTQ laws and rhetoric have harmed their well-being, with transgender and nonbinary respondents consistently reporting the highest levels of distress.
In its analysis of the findings, the Movement Advancement Project, an independent think tank that researches policies affecting LGBTQ Americans, noted that even though about 92% of anti-LGBTQ bills never become law, their mere introduction can take a toll on LGBTQ people’s mental health and well-being.
The report also found that transgender and nonbinary people were more likely than other LGBTQ respondents to say their well-being was harmed by state-level policies and rhetoric— the same arena where most anti-trans legislation has been introduced in recent years. By contrast, reported harm from federal and local policies was similar across both groups.
Since Donald Trump’s return to office, a majority of LGBTQ people—and more than 8 in 10 transgender and nonbinary individuals—say they or their families have faced harassment or discrimination. Large majorities of LGBTQ Americans also express negative feelings about Trump’s actions since his return to office.
At least 7 in 10 respondents reported feeling “afraid,” “anxious,” “worried,” or “angry,” while 8 in 10 said they felt “disgusted” by the administration’s moves. Among transgender respondents, more than 8 in 10 said they felt anxious, angry, afraid, or disgusted, and 9 in 10 said they were “worried” about what the administration is doing.
When it comes to President Donald Trump’s performance in office, only 10% of LGBTQ people approve of his actions overall, and just 6% approve of his handling of LGBTQ-related issues.
https://www.metroweekly.com/2025/10/anti-lgbtq-policies-mental-health/