Incredible new findings published in Centers for Disease Control's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (CDC) says nearly two percent of high schoolers in America identify as transgender, and approximately 35 percent have attempted to end their life sometime in the last 12 months.
The data was culled from the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which involved 131,901 high school students in grades 9-12 from 10 states—Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin — plus districts in Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Cleveland, Detroit, the District of Columbia, Los Angeles, New York City, San Diego, and San Francisco.
“Students responded to questions about violence, victimization, substance use, suicide risk, sexual risk behaviors. The survey also included an optional question regarding transgender identity.” said The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“This study is the first time this question was asked,” Caitlin Clark of GLSEN, a national nonprofit aimed at ensuring school safety for LGBTQ students, told NBC News. The CDC and GLSEN worked together “to figure out the best way to assess gender identity in a way that youth understand.” She hopes the YRBS question won't remain optional for long.
Two percent who those who identified as transgender faced higher rates of victimization, substance abuse and suicidal thoughts, vis a vis their cis gendered peers according to the CDC.
CDC experts are calling for “coordinated intervention efforts in schools to create and enforce anti-bullying policy and implement training to ensure supportive school staff.”
The CDC's announcement comes just days after the United States Supreme Court revived President Donald Trump's transgender military ban, which blocks most trans people from serving in the military as cases challenging the policy make their way through lower courts.
Photos above: Trans writer and lead bass for ‘No Daughter of Mine' the trans boy band featured in the upcoming Born Stars Cole Haye‘s ten year challenge on Facebook.
