Most Transgender Youth in the U.S. Affected by State Restrictions: Report

A relatively small population of teens in the United States identify as transgender—just over 3%, according to the most recent data. And yet the number of laws attacking that population has felt hard to keep track of in recent years—especially since the turning point of 2021, when a record number of such bills (150) were introduced in nearly 40 states.

This week, a report from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law lays out just how many of the country’s trans youth are being directly affected by such laws, and it’s not good news.

The findings show that more than half, or 53%, of transgender youth between the ages of 13 and 17 live in 29 states with laws or policies that restrict their access to gender-affirming care, sports, bathrooms, or to even using gender-affirming pronouns in schools. That translates to approximately 382,800 young people.

Further, the report notes, in 2025 alone, 24 states passed or expanded at least one type of restrictive legislation.

At the same time, where you live in the U.S. can make a huge difference: Nearly 40% of the estimated 724,000 youth who identify as transgender are lucky enough to live where “shield laws” protect their access to gender-affirming care—comprising 17 states (like California, Massachusetts and New York) and Washington, D.C.

The report also revealed stark regional differences regarding the anti-trans legislation. Those in the South and the Midwest were the worst off, where 95% and 51%, respectively, live in a state with at least one restrictive law or policy. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, those who live in the West or the Northeast were the most protected, with 83% and 74%, respectively, living in a state with a shield law.

“For the past few years, we have witnessed a trend of escalating state legislation affecting transgender youth,” the report’s lead author and Williams Institute law fellow Joshua Arrayales said in a press release. “The resulting patchwork of laws and policies is creating very different lived realities for transgender youth across the United States.”

Among the report’s other findings:

A 2025 Human Rights Watch report laid out the grim results of being kept from gender-affirming care—a system of supportive care for those with gender dysphoria, endorsed by everyone from the American Academy of Pediatrics to the American Medical Association, that can range from counseling to medical treatments. The consequences, HRW reported, range from increased anxiety and depression and, in some severe cases, suicide attempts.

“U.S. officials have cut off transgender youth from essential, life-affirming care, throwing them instead into the crosshairs of a cultural war,” said LGBT Rights Officer Yasemin Smallens at the time. “Families are being pushed to the brink, forced to navigate impossible barriers to care, while the federal government intensifies its assault on transgender rights.”

This is all not to even mention Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s proposal in December, carrying out President Trump’s executive order, to target gender-affirming care for youth at a federal level. If approved, it would ban hospitals that provide such care to minors from receiving Medicaid and Medicare funds.

In response, AAP president Dr. Susan J. Kressly told NPR, “These policies and proposals misconstrue the current medical consensus and fail to reflect the realities of pediatric care and the needs of children and families.”

Takeaways for parents and allies

While it helps to understand the severity of such restrictions when it comes to protecting your transgender child, you can also just be a supportive human.

“These findings demonstrate a clear and urgent need for parents, families, friends, and allies to step up our support for the transgender young people in our lives,” says Zach Eisenstein, director of communications at the Trevor Project, which provides national support for LGBTQ youth and offers a guide for allies. “You don’t have to be an expert in transgender topics or state policy to show transgender youth that you support and accept them.” 

In fact, says Eisenstein, in a recent Trevor Project survey asking more than 16,000 LGBTQ young people how the people in their lives can best show support, the answers were simple: “trusting that they know who they are,” “standing up for them,” “respecting their pronouns,” and “looking up things about being LGBTQ+ on your own to better understand.”

Taking such seemingly small actions, says Eisenstein, “can make a huge difference in helping transgender young people—and all LGBTQ+ youth—feel seen and supported, regardless of the current legislative landscape.”