According to a new report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, 93% of transgender youth aged 13 to 17 in the U.S.—approximately 280,300 youth—live in states that have proposed or passed laws restricting their access to health care, sports, school bathrooms and facilities, or the use of gender-affirming pronouns.
In some regions, a large percentage of transgender youth live in a state that has already enacted one of these laws. About 85% of transgender youth in the South and 40% of transgender youth in the Midwest live in one of these states.
An estimated 300,100 youth ages 13 to 17 in the U.S. identify as transgender. Nearly half of transgender youth live in 14 states and Washington D.C. that have laws that protect access to gender-affirming care and prohibit conversion therapy.
All transgender youth living in the Northeast reside in a state with either a gender-affirming care “shield” law or a conversion therapy ban, while almost all transgender youth in the West (97%) live in a state with one or both protective laws.
“For the second straight year, hundreds of bills impacting transgender youth were introduced in state legislatures,” said lead author Elana Redfield, Federal Policy Director at the Williams Institute. “The diverging legal landscape has created a deep divide in the rights and protections for transgender youth and their families across the country.”
Key Findings
Restrictive Legislation
Bans on gender-affirming care
- 237,500 transgender youth—slightly more than three-quarters of transgender youth in the U.S.—live in 40 states that have passed laws or had pending bills that restrict access to gender-affirming care.
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- 113,900 transgender youth live in 24 states that have enacted gender-affirming care bans.
- 123,600 youth live in 16 additional states that had a gender-affirming care ban pending in the 2024 legislative session.
Bans on sports participation
- 222,500 transgender youth—nearly three-quarters of transgender youth in the U.S.—live in 41 states that have passed laws or had pending bills that restrict participation in school sports.
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- 120,200 transgender youth live in 27 states where access to sports participation is restricted or state policy encourages restriction.
- 102,300 transgender youth live in 14 additional states that had a sports ban pending in the 2024 legislative session.
School bathroom bans
- 117,000 transgender youth live in 30 states that have passed laws or had pending bills that ban transgender students from using school bathrooms and other facilities that align with their gender identity.
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- 38,600 transgender youth live in 13 states that explicitly or implicitly ban bathroom access.
- 78,400 transgender youth live in 17 additional states that had a bathroom ban pending in the 2024 legislative session.
Bans on pronoun use
- 121,100 transgender youth live in 31 states that have passed laws or had pending bills that restrict or prohibit the use of gender-affirming pronouns.
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- 49,100 transgender youth live in 14 states that have restricted or banned pronoun use, particularly in schools or state-run facilities.
- 72,000 transgender youth live in 17 additional states that had a restriction or prohibition pending in the 2024 legislative session.
Protective Legislation
Gender-affirming care “shield” laws
- 163,800 transgender youth—over half of transgender youth in the U.S.—live in 18 states and D.C. that have passed gender-affirming care “shield” laws or had pending bills that protect access to care.
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- 146,700 transgender youth live in 14 states and D.C. that have passed these protections.
- 17,100 transgender youth live in four additional states that had a “shield” law pending in the 2024 legislative session.
Conversion therapy bans
- 204,800 transgender youth live in 31 states and D.C. that ban conversion therapy or had pending bills that prohibit the practice for minors.
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- 198,000 transgender youth—about two-thirds of transgender youth in the U.S.—live in 27 states and D.C. that ban conversion therapy for minors.
- 6,800 transgender youth live in four additional states that had a ban pending in the 2024 legislative session.
“A growing body of research shows that efforts to support transgender youth are associated with better mental health,” said co-author Kerith Conron, Research Director at the Williams Institute. “Restrictions on medically appropriate care and full participation at school exacerbate the stress experienced by these youth and their families.”