Nathanio Strimpopulos (he/she) is the Creative Director at The Trevor Project in Nashville.
I was born in Jackson, Tennessee, and while my family and I moved to a few different areas when I was young, I’ve called Nashville home for more than 20 years. I went to college here, and in the decades since, I’ve found myself with a wonderful community, a successful career, an incredible partner of 17 years, and an overall sense of pride in being a true Nashvillian.
However, one thing makes me wonder how long I may call this place my home: state legislators continue to push unsafe and pointless anti-transgender legislation. As a Tennessean who is also transgender, the message that many of my lawmakers are sending is, “You don’t belong here.”
Tennessee politicians are currently considering a number of anti-transgender bills. One particularly egregious measure would prohibit transgender individuals from using locker rooms or restrooms that match their gender identity, and even encourage people to report and harass someone they believe doesn’t “look” the same way.
Study shows the cost of discriminatory policy
It’s okay not to know much about your trans peers. However, these bills are rooted in stereotypes and fear about the transgender community, not in reality.
This type of anti-trans legislation, whether it becomes law or not, poses significant harm to members of the LGBTQ+ community—especially young people. I work at The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ+ youth.
Our trained counselors frequently hear from young people about the impact of these bills and the hateful rhetoric surrounding them. Our research indicates that almost one in three LGBTQ+ youth believe their mental health is often or usually affected by anti-LGBT+ policies and laws. Legislators should prioritize policies that support these marginalized young people rather than further isolate them, especially considering that a staggering 48% of LGBTQ+ and 58% of transgender and nonbinary youth in Tennessee seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year.
Working in suicide prevention, I encounter many heartbreaking stories and statistics about LGBTQ+ youth. But I also have a clear understanding of the factors that can improve young people’s well-being. It’s quite simple: when adults create affirming and supportive environments for young people, their mental health and overall happiness improve. Research consistently shows that LGBTQ+ youth who are accepted by families, schools, and communities for who they are have lower rates of suicide attempts than those who are not.
Legislators should protect, not harm, their constituents.
There are many issues that I want my lawmakers to prioritize and address in Tennessee. Housing costs are skyrocketing, making it difficult for people to afford homes. Our educational system is failing because schools lack the resources to properly support and compensate our teachers. The cost of groceries is prohibitively high.
These are the kinds of issues that our legislators should be addressing. I don’t know anyone who wants lawmakers to pass laws restricting transgender rights, but it seems like too many of our elected officials prioritize that. They should spend more time focusing on pressing issues that matter to their constituents and work to improve things rather than make them worse.
I love living in Nashville. It’s where I have my family, my friends, and a sense of community that I wouldn’t trade for anything.
Instead of trying to force transgender people like me to leave the state, lawmakers should work to make Tennessee a place that everyone can proudly call home.
Nathanio Strimpopulos (he/she) is the Creative Director of The Trevor Project, a renowned organization for LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention and crisis intervention.
