Defending LGBTQ+ Youth from Hate is a Community Obligation
I recently read Courtney Lamdin's article "Graffiti Ordinance Sparks First Amendment Concerns in Burlington" in Seven Days, which raised important points about the balance between free speech and public policy. However, as someone who works closely with LGBTQ+ youth, I want to share with readers what's truly at stake when hate speech of any kind shows up in our state.
This goes well beyond ordinances or property damage— actions like this cause profound harm to the very young people who call Vermont home. We must recognize that right now queer and trans youth are enduring unprecedented waves of hate, from the streets in their hometown to the highest levels of government, wherein 2024 there were over 600 anti-trans bills introduced across the country, and our president-elect spent over $65M on anti-trans advertising during his campaign.
Every day, youth find themselves in the crosshairs of relentless and vicious attacks. Let me tell you what this looks like through their eyes.
Imagine this: a middle-school student rushes through breakfast and heads out the door. She grabs her backpack, puts her headphones on, and walks to the bus stop, thinking about her math test and getting excited to see her friends. Plopping down to wait for the bus, she looks up at a sticker on the bus shelter window. It’s specifically targeting her identity, telling her she doesn't get to exist.
What starts as a typical school day crashes instantly, her sense of safety shattered.
That sticker isn't just a sticker on a wall; it's a message telling her she doesn't belong, that she's not worthy of being on this earth. The shame and fear it brings will follow her into her day, into that math class, into the spaces where she, like every one of her peers, is supposed to feel safe and supported. Vermont laws mandate this safety, yet the lived experience of youth doesn’t measure up.
This is the real impact of hate speech, be it on a sticker or some other form of graffiti. It's not just vandalism or "free speech"; it's a direct attack on the identity and humanity of LGBTQ+ youth, young people already navigating an increasingly difficult world during disproportionately awkward years of their life.
And let's be clear: the mental health of youth across the board is in a current state of crisis, especially for LGBTQ+ youth.
The Vermont Department of Health 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) sheds light on the disparities facing LGBTQ+ youth health and well-being when compared to their cisgender and heterosexual peers.
The survey shows that 29% of high school youth identified as LGBTQ+. Forty-six percent of LGBTQ+ students reported deliberately hurting themselves without intending to die, 29% reported making a suicide plan, and 14% attempted suicide. In comparison, among heterosexual cisgender high school students, 13% reported deliberately hurting themselves without intending to die, 8% made a suicide plan, and 4% attempted suicide.
Additionally, 32% of 12,210 middle school students identify as LGBTQ+. These students are more than three times as likely as heterosexual, cisgender students to have ever hurt themselves on purpose without wanting to die; 35% have thought seriously about killing themselves, 27% have made a suicide plan, and 13% tried to kill themselves.
As we consider these stark data points, I can't help but know the truth: these data points disproportionately show a crisis facing LGBTQ+ youth, and these outcomes are avoidable. If we as adults are willing to take action, to understand the crisis of this moment, and to create caring communities, we could change this picture. Full stop. It's doable.
The Minority Stress Theory highlights that poor health outcomes and behavior risks facing LGBTQ+ youth are not inherently due to their sexuality or gender identity, but rather the result of the burden of stress caused by discrimination, bias, and harm. In other words, navigating the targeted stereotypes and misperceptions constantly flying their way.
The recent debate about Burlington's graffiti ordinance and First Amendment rights is essential. And while those conversations continue, we as a community must recognize the urgent harm hateful messages are causing right now. We can not have safety for some at the expense of others. Together we must protect our most vulnerable people.
No matter the proposed solution, community safety for everyone must be our highest priority. City leaders and law enforcement must act swiftly to remove hateful graffiti and hold those responsible accountable. At the same time, we must continue to foster education, restorative justice programs, and visible allyship, all critical tools to building a culture that rejects hate.
Today and always, it's on all of us to ensure LGBTQ+ youth know they are loved, valued, and supported. Show up alongside them. Speak out against hate in your neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces. Help ensure that when a young person gets onto her bus, she feels hope, not fear.
Vermont can be a state that respects free expression and refuses to tolerate hate. By standing together, we create a community where belonging is all of ours. Now more than ever, LGBTQ+ youth must be seen and celebrated for exactly who they are. Let's make that our message.
