The Trevor Project – the nation’s largest LGBTQ youth crisis intervention and suicide prevention organization – issued a press statement about the amount of incoming calls, text messages and online chats they’ve received from transgender youth. The influx of communications to the suicide prevention organization corresponded most notably after President Trump’s tweet regarding transgender military service members, and the local to national news coverage of proposed “bathroom bill” in the Texas legislature.

According to the press statement issued by the Trevor Project:

• of the approximately 178 contacts per day (on average) received by The Trevor Project, 7.3 percent typically self-identify as transgender;

• within 24 hours after the President’s tweet regarding transgender military service members, contacts from transgender individuals spiked to 17.5 percent of all contacts;

• And, the week after the Texas legislature introduced the anti-trans “bathroom bill,” contacts from transgender young people doubled to 14.7 percent.

“As an adult living my life as a transgender man, I know first hand what it feels like to feel scared, alone, and vulnerable. Throughout the 85th legislative session here in Texas, and now in the Special Session, Equality Texas has been on the frontlines fighting against the anti-transgender rhetoric and public discourse espoused by elected officials at the Capitol,” said transgender programs coordinator Lou Weaver. “The anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and all of the anti-transgender policies have directly resulted in members of our community being assaulted and our parents being afraid for their children . We hope the news from the Trevor Project will inform lawmakers and result in them rejecting all discriminatory bathroom bill legislation targeting our transgender neighbors, families and friends.”

“It’s summertime. Families with children should be having fun and reconnecting during their summer break. Instead, families with trans youth are traveling for hours to testify against bathroom bills, because the lieutenant governor has decided to pick on an already bullied group of kids. The news from the Trevor Project regarding the spike in communications is heartbreaking,” said Chuck Smith, CEO of Equality Texas. “Attacking transgender kids with discriminatory legislation puts them in crisis. Enough is enough! The Texas Legislature needs to stop the bathroom bills.”

Transgender kids and adults need to be treated fairly. Equality Texas is not fighting about bathrooms. We are fighting against policies which will have lifelong consequences for our families, and communities. Equality Texas will continue to hold anti-LGBTQ legislators accountable.