The Quickie: Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation Propels Mental Health Crisis for Queer Youth

Welcome to “The Quickie” — Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s daily tipsheet on the top health care & reproductive rights stories of the day. You can read “The Quickie'' online here.

Happy May, readers! Is this arguably the greatest month of the year? (Yes.) 

In today’s Quickie: the devastating toll of anti-LGBTQ+ bills on youth, lawsuit filed against MT Medicaid restrictions on abortion, of course Trump supports a national abortion ban, and updates from the Great Plains. 

ANTI-LGBTQ+ LEGISLATION PROPELS MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS FOR QUEER YOUTH: Today, the Trevor Project released new survey data on mental health for LGBTQ+ youth, documenting a disturbing increase in mental health issues. Some of the statistics include: 

• Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said that hearing about anti-LGBTQ+ legislation made their mental health worse, including about one-third that said their mental health was poor most or all of the time due to those policies. 
• A devastating 41% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered suicide last year, more than double the rate of the general population of high school-aged children. That rate is even higher for trans and non-binary youth with 48% of trans women, 56% of trans men, and 48% of non-binary people considering suicide in the past year. These numbers are also higher for people of color.
• Trans youth undergoing gender-affirming hormone therapy are concerned about losing access to care: 65% are somewhat or very concerned. 

Read the full findings at the Trevor Project. Read more at STAT. 

LAWSUIT FILED TO STOP NEW MEDICAID RULE RESTRICTING ABORTION IN MONTANA: On Friday evening, all three of Montana’s abortion providers — Planned Parenthood of Montana, Blue Mountain Clinic, and All Families Healthcare — filed a lawsuit in district court challenging a new rule that will effectively eliminate abortion access for most Medicaid patients in the state. The abortion providers are asking for a temporary restraining order to block the rule, which takes effect today. 

Currently, the state of Montana covers medically necessary abortions for patients enrolled in Medicaid. But the new rule mandates that only physicians can provide abortions to Medicaid patients, imposes an unnecessary physical exam requirement — eliminating telehealth abortion for Medicaid-eligible Montanans — and forces providers to seek prior authorization for abortions for Medicaid recipients in the state. 

“Not only does the rule threaten the health and safety of the very Montanans DPHHS purports to protect, it also violates their rights under the state’s own constitution,” leaders from PPFA, Center for Reproductive Rights, and ACLU of Montana said in a statement on Friday. “Unless this rule is blocked, health inequity in the state will dramatically increase as patients are forced to travel even further afield to access the health care they need, if they can at all.” 

The lawsuit argues the rule violates the right to privacy and the right to equal protection under the Montana Constitution, as well as the Montana Administrative Procedure Act. 

Read more at AP. PPFA release.

NOT BREAKING NEWS: TRUMP AGREES TO NATIONAL ABORTION BAN: Late last week, Donald Trump told reporters what has been evident all along — he supports a national abortion ban. After boasting about appointing the justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, claiming the deeply unpopular court decision as a badge of honor, the former president then said “we’re going to get it done” when asked about a national ban. 

“Every GOP candidate running for president wants to ban abortion nationwide — Trump is just the latest candidate saying it out loud,” said Jenny Lawson, executive director of Planned Parenthood Votes. “How many times will voters have to make it clear that they want elected officials who will protect their rights? Abortion bans are harmful, both to patients seeking care and anti-abortion politicians seeking office. Planned Parenthood Votes will  make sure voters know exactly where Donald Trump stands — in his own words.” 

GREAT PLAINS UPDATE: KANSAS SENATE SUSTAINS VETO OF GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE BAN; OKLAHOMA ADVOCATES FIGHT BACK: Last week, the Kansas Senate sustained Gov. Kelly’s veto of a ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth. The vote was a crucial win for reproductive freedom advocates, who have spent the session pushing against numerous attacks on trans people. Advocates from Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes (PPGPV) heavily lobbied lawmakers in the leadup to the veto session, emphasizing the harm that would come to Kansas youth if the ban went into effect. 

PPGPV is also hard at work in Oklahoma, where along with Trust Women, the affiliate is heading to the capitol for a lobby day today. The Rock the Block lobby day will be followed by a community celebration, bringing joy to a capitol building where just last week lawmakers passed a ban on gender-affirming care. Oklahoma City’s vibrant reproductive health, rights, and justice movement welcomes community members to learn how to get involved in the fight. 

And later today, a Missouri state court is expected to rule in a challenge to the state’s looming gender-affirming care ban, which would halt care for trans and gender-nonconforming people of all ages. The ban was blocked temporarily last Wednesday during litigation. Ahead of the anticipated ruling, Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri president and CEO Yamelsie Rodríguez said, 

"...  We are optimistic the court will permanently strike down these harmful restrictions and send a message to the attorney general that he has no business regulating people’s health care.  

“[Wednesday’s] order is encouraging, but we know these attacks will keep coming. The Attorney General and his league of ideological fanatics are hell-bent on denying science and evidence to attack the trans community in the same way they’ve attacked people seeking an abortion. But we'll never stop standing with and fighting for our patients — we’re here no matter what.”