Arlington Advocacy Groups Call for Immediate Action on LGBTQ+ Student Mental Health Crisis

Equality Arlington and the Arlington Gender Identity Alliance sent a joint letter to the Arlington School Board and Superintendent Francisco Durán on Monday. The letter cites the 2024 Arlington Youth Survey, a cross-sectional study of 10th- and 12th-grade students, which shows LGBTQ+ youth experience worse mental health, bullying, and violence than their straight and cisgender peers.

Nearly half of transgender students (46.3%) reported feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed most of the time or always in the 30 days before the survey. About one-third of nonbinary students (30.6%) said they had seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, and 19.4% had made a suicide plan. Additionally, 18.5% of transgender students reported at least one suicide attempt, while 5.5% of LGBQ students said they had been physically forced to have sexual intercourse. The survey also found that 19.4% of nonbinary students missed school because they felt unsafe, and 20.4% of transgender students experienced bullying on school property. These figures are similar to those from a 2019 survey, indicating little change over time.

The advocacy groups argue the data show a correlation between school climate and mental health outcomes, but the survey design cannot prove causation. They recommend four steps: consistent enforcement of non-discrimination policies, inclusion of LGBTQ-affirming books and lessons, active support for Gender & Sexuality Alliances through the district’s DEI office, and professional development via the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Welcoming Schools program. For readers, the takeaway is to watch for signs of distress in LGBTQ+ youth, support inclusive school policies, and seek resources such as the Trevor Project or local crisis lines if needed. The school board’s response and any implementation of the recommended measures will be watched closely in the coming months.