Pride vs. Prejudice By: Kat Torres

Envision a world where you are forced to exist in a society that invalidates your sheer existence; one where you live in fear knowing that your constitutional rights are at risk of being rescinded because of who you are. For individuals who identify with the LGBTQ+ community, this is the unfortunate reality.

"There's been a heightened sense of this helplessness and hopelessness,” Dr. Natasha Poulopoulos, licensed pediatrics psychologist specializing in LGBTQ+ care said. "Even if they aren't LGBTQ+, they fear about ... how someone in their life could be affected by these laws."

In the past decade, a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has cascaded throughout the country.

The passing of Bill HB 1069 — otherwise known as Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law — prohibits the instruction of gender and sexuality in schools. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis proposed the bill in 2022, it was adopted in 2023, and policies such as banning books that feature couples of the same sex and dismissing one's preferred pronouns were enforced immediately.

The adoption of the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law in Florida led to other states to emulate their own legislation. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), there are over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills under consideration in at least 40 states.

"There is distrust in a system that is supposed to protect kids," Dr. Poulopoulos said. "We know from data that affirming and inclusive care improves mental health, yet we're seeing laws that are doing the exact opposite."

Also proposed by DeSantis, SB 1320 sought to prohibit public school students and employees from referring to individuals by their preferred titles or pronouns. The bill also made classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity unlawful.

The lack of representation in public schools made it more difficult for students to accept identities different from their own. The lack of representation in public schools makes it more difficult for students to accept identities different from their own. This is the case for 18-year-old Aiden Cordero, a recent graduate of Frank W. Springsteen High School, located in Tampa, FL.

“People are more worried about my identity than they are about school subjects,” Cordero said. “I feel like people perceive me more as a trans woman than an actual student.”

Cordero said she has identified as a transgender woman since her teenage years. Throughout high school, she recalled being the victim of harassment from her peers, often avoided in the halls or called derogatory names in regards to her expression of gender.

An investigation administered by Alberta Civil Liberties Research Center (ACLRC) found that transgender students are more receptive to bullying and exclusion by law than any other minority. The enactment of Bill HB 1521, which passed alongside ‘Don’t Say Gay’ in 2023, requires that the use of facility restrooms is exclusive to one’s assigned gender at birth.

As a result of this law, Cordero said she was called to the office after two classmates reported her for using the women's restroom. Though her counselor originally sided with her, she said she was ultimately given a suspension for violating the terms of the legislation.

“I feel like the counselors I had at school were hesitant to help me because they were all underneath Florida’s law.” Cordero said.

Her experience mirrors the struggles that LGBTQ+ students face under discriminatory laws. Experts warn that such laws make the LGBTQ+ community more vulnerable to mental health issues.

In a 2022 study, The Trevor Project, a non-profit organization that specializes in LGBTQ+ suicide prevention, found that roughly 45 percent of queer teenagers consider suicide–an alarming statistic that highlights the severity of the community’s mental health crisis.

Similar research indicates that members of the LGBTQ+ community are at an increased risk for anxiety disorders and depression. Factors such as social rejection, internalized homophobia, and the fear of violence or discrimination can lead to chronic stress, which impacts overall mental health. This statistic is also in part a result from the lack of acceptance LGBTQ+ individuals receive.

“I see a heightened level of depression,” Dr. Poulopoulos said. “The fear of being outed and what the consequences will be are primarily negative, whether it’s coming from peers, family, or a bigger system.”

Experts emphasize the importance of supportive environments, acceptance, and inclusive policies to help mitigate these risks and promote mental well-being within the LGBTQ+ community.

LGBTQ+ people stress the importance of voices from those outside of the community in order to push back against legislation. Allies voicing in support of LGBTQ+ rights supplies the aid the community needs in order to stand strong against discrimination.

Though the fight to equality is far from over, standing united could foster great changes, paving the way to a brighter tomorrow.