Study reveals most U.S. trans youth face state rights restrictions

A new study from the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law reveals that a significant majority of transgender youth in the United States are living in states where their rights are actively being restricted. The research indicates that over half of transgender individuals aged 13-17 reside in jurisdictions with at least one law limiting their fundamental freedoms and access to vital support.

The report, titled The Impact of 2025 Anti-Transgender Legislation on Youth, meticulously analyzes laws enacted in 2025 and previous years. Out of an estimated 724,000 transgender young people in this age bracket nationwide, approximately 382,800—a striking 53 percent—are navigating life in one of 29 states that have implemented measures restricting access to gender-affirming care, participation in sports, use of appropriate bathrooms and sex-separated facilities, or gender affirmation through pronoun use.

The legislative landscape is particularly challenging for a substantial portion of this demographic: 36 percent, or 262,700 young people, reside in 16 states that have enacted all four categories of these restrictive policies. Furthermore, legislation passed or expanded solely in 2025 has directly impacted an estimated 329,200 trans youth, representing 46 percent of the total.

In a contrasting development, nearly 40 percent (285,300 teens) benefit from critical "shield laws" enacted in 17 states and Washington, D.C. These progressive laws are designed to protect access to gender-affirming care, safeguarding providers and families from legal actions originating in states with restrictive policies, and in some cases, from federal interference.

The study highlights a profound regional disparity in these legislative trends. In the U.S. South, a staggering 95 percent of transgender youth, and 51 percent in the Midwest, are currently subject to at least one restrictive law or policy. Conversely, 83 percent of trans youth in the West and 74 percent in the Northeast reside in states that have adopted protective shield laws.

The report details the widespread nature of these legislative challenges:

• Gender-Affirming Care: Half of all trans youth (362,900) live in the 27 states that have banned or restricted access to gender-affirming care. Arkansas, Kansas, New Hampshire, and West Virginia notably enacted new or expanded prohibitions in 2025. Additionally, 17 states explicitly prohibit Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care for minors.
• Sports Participation: Fifty-three percent (382,800) reside in 29 states with laws limiting their ability to participate in school sports that align with their gender identity. Georgia, Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and Utah introduced new or expanded such laws in 2025.
• Bathroom Access: Forty-eight percent (348,400) are affected by laws in 25 states that prohibit transgender youth from using bathrooms and other facilities consistent with their gender identity in schools or government buildings, or define "sex" in exclusionary ways that deny access. New or expanded bathroom restrictions were enacted in 2025 by Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
• Pronoun Use: Thirty-three percent (262,700) live in 16 states with laws restricting gender-affirming pronoun use in schools or facilities, often coupled with parental notification requirements. Montana, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia expanded these restrictions, while Ohio and West Virginia introduced new parental notification laws in 2025.

Encouragingly, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Vermont, and Washington State bolstered their shield laws and policies in 2025, with Connecticut and Delaware adopting new measures and others enhancing existing protections.

The study also references executive orders from the previous administration, specifically those attributed to Donald Trump, which have aimed to deny the existence of trans, nonbinary, and intersex individuals, further restrict access to gender-affirming care for young people, and threaten states and schools that uphold the rights of trans student athletes.

The detrimental consequences of these anti-trans laws are profound. "For the past few years, we have witnessed a trend of escalating state legislation affecting transgender youth," stated Joshua Arrayales, law fellow at the Williams Institute and lead author of the report. "The resulting patchwork of laws and policies is creating very different lived realities for transgender youth across the United States."

Elana Redfield, co-author and federal policy director at the Williams Institute, underscored the critical importance of supportive environments for the well-being of young people. "Research consistently shows that supportive environments for transgender youth are associated with better mental health outcomes," Redfield explained. "Unfortunately, many policies at the state and federal level are making it harder for transgender youth to access these supports, and even to participate in basic aspects of public life."