Transgender Identification Declines Sharply Among Young Americans Amid Political Backlash

Recent surveys reveal a significant decline in the number of young Americans identifying as transgender or nonbinary, with proportions nearly halving between 2022 and 2024. Experts like Professor Jean Twenge were surprised by this reversal after years of steady increases in transgender identification, and sociologist Eric Kaufmann suggests this decline resembles a fading trend rather than shifts in mental health or political views. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's administration has taken a strongly anti-transgender stance, including limiting healthcare access for trans youth, reinstating the transgender military ban, and denying transgender individuals passports. This hardline approach has been described as the most anti-LGBTQ+ in American history, fueling fears within the transgender community and prompting some to consider leaving the country. The political backlash against transgender rights follows a decade of increased visibility and legal victories for LGBTQ+ people, with transgender issues becoming a focal point of conservative opposition. Overall, the combination of declining identification rates among youth and intensified governmental opposition marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing cultural and political debate over transgender rights in the U.S.