Anti-transgender legislation can cause psychological distress even in states with trans-friendly laws

Living in a so-called “safe state” is preferable, for sure. But the unfolding horrors are harming us all, and this research helps document what we’ve been experiencing.

From the article:

Legislation that affects or discriminates against transgender and gender-diverse individuals can cause more psychological distress than personal experiences of discrimination, according to new Virginia Commonwealth University research [published](https://doi.apa.org/doi/10.1037/amp0001683) in the journal *American Psychologist*.

The study also found that individuals with those identities experienced psychological distress from anti-transgender laws even if they lived in a state with legislation that is friendly toward transgender and gender-diverse individuals.

"We found that above and beyond everything else in the model, including active experiences of discrimination, that anti-trans legislation anxiety was driving psychological distress," said Catherine Wall, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology in the College of Humanities and Sciences and the study's lead author.