How Can Journalists Effectively Report On LGBTQ+ Youth?

The landscape of society when it comes to LGBTQ+ people is far different and more open in the United States than it was in the past. Even as legislatures now continue to enact public policy that attacks LGBTQ+ people, particularly the trans community, the LGBTQ+ population is more and more open and visible amongst American youth. According to a 2020 study by the University of California Los Angeles’ School of Law’s Williams Institute, nearly 2 million American youth between the ages of 13 and 17 identify as LGBTQ+. 

Support for LGBTQ+ populations is variable throughout the country, and for youth, possibly variable on a daily basis.  Many youth who gain acceptance at school among their peers are reviled and targeted by adults, including teachers and even their own parents. This instability of support in at least one-third of LGBTQ+ youth has had tragic consequences on life expectancy and suicide rates, particularly as the COVID-19 pandemic shifted youth from unaccepting homes back into homes where they are subject to constant parental supervision. 

Understanding how to capture this variable experience of LGBTQ+ youth when reporting on them requires a bit of prep work.  

Know Your Statistics To Back Up The Stories. 

According to a survey by The Trevor Project, fewer than 1 in 3 transgender youth find their home to be affirming. 60 percent of LGBTQ+ youth who wanted mental health care in the past year were unable to receive it, and 45 percent of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered suicide in the past year. 60 percent of youth between ages 13 and 17 found their mental health to be “poor” over the COVID-19 pandemic, and at least 20 percent of those people named concerns with abuse from their parent or caregiver as the primary reason they were afraid to seek mental health care in return. 

Look In Marginalized Communities.  

The risks of poor mental health and suicide amongst the young LGBTQ+ community is proportionally larger in already marginalized communities of color, particularly indigenous communities, where 21 percent of indigenous LGBTQ+ youth attempted suicide in 2021. Transgender women of color have the lowest life expectancy of any demographic in the United States, due to high levels of murder and suicide. Identity also does not begin and end with sexuality and gender identity, and many youth in these communities will have experience with overlapping forms of oppression which are just as essential to their stories.  A study by GLSEN in 2020 stated:

“Existing research has illustrated that both Black as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth often face unique challenges at school related to their marginalized identities. For example, previous studies indicate that Black youth experience harassment and discrimination at school related to their race, resulting in negative educational outcomes, such as more school discipline, lower academic achievement, lower graduation rates, and lower rates of admission into higher education. Similarly, LGBTQ youth often face unique challenges related to their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. LGBTQ youth often reported experiencing victimization and discrimination, resulting in poorer educational outcomes and decreased psychological well-being. Further, they have limited or no access to in-school resources that may improve school climate and students’ experiences. Although there has been a robust body of research on the experiences of Black youth and a burgeoning body of research on LGBTQ youth in schools, there has been little research examining the intersections of these identities – the experiences of Black LGBTQ students. Existing studies show that schools nationwide are hostile environments for LGBTQ youth of color, where they experience victimization and discrimination based on race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or all of these identities.” 

Avoid Gendering Language.  

Pronouns are a simple part of grammar, but a simple modification of “his” or “her” pronouns to singular “they” pronouns can go a long way when discussing issues of gender identity and sexuality, in that doing so normalizes the use for the reader. Furthermore, alternative gender identities and sexualities are in direct conflict with the “normalities” of society, and the assumptions cisgender (“cis”) people (even cis queer people) make about gender when shown gendered language are unconscious. Taking away that unconscious bias will allow the individual to express that for themselves, and therefore create more normality and freedom for more youth to express themselves in print as they would like to be defined. Other examples of gendered language include words that describe a person’s appearance and/or clothing with a clear gender stereotype in mind, such as describing a masculine-presenting person as “rugged.”

Avoid Identifiers Unless The Subject Explicitly Identifies With Them. A lot of LGBTQ+ youth do not identify with the labels we know, and as such, prefer larger umbrella terms like LGBTQ+ or “queer.” Identifiers such as “gay,” “lesbian,” etc. should be avoided unless the subject identifies themselves in the piece as such. 

Ask Questions If You’re Not Sure. 

A lot is changing in the world around us, and that includes the conversation around LGBTQ+ identities as a whole. That conversation is largely shaped by the aforementioned youth who are redefining these identities on a daily basis. As such, the learning curve for a journalist may be steep, and that is okay. Asking questions when you aren’t sure about something shows a willingness to be inclusive and to learn (or unlearn), which gains the trust of the subject and ultimately provides you with more information and information that is more accurate to their experience. Also, your readers will learn with you.

With hostility cropping up in state legislatures for LGBTQ+ youth across the country, now more than ever it is important that the stories of all LGBTQ+ youth be told with the nuance and the care that they deserve. These issues are intersectional, and highly variable, and as journalists, we must do justice to that reality.