How one election made thousands of young Americans call help-lines
About 8 years ago crisis hotlines got way more calls than usual from trans teens worried about their school life. Students feared changes in their daily school routines and basic rights
Back in late-2016 help-lines across America saw an unexpected jump in calls from trans teenagers (who were super-worried about their future). The wave of calls started right after Donald Trump won the election: many young people felt scared about what might happen next
School life became the main worry for these teens: Trump made lots of anti-trans statements during his run for president and promised to change rules that protected trans students. One big thing he talked about was Title IX - a rule that lets trans kids use their chosen names bathrooms and lockers at school; this made many students feel un-safe about their day-to-day life
The possible changes would affect basic stuff like:
- Which bathroom students could use
- How teachers would call them
- Which locker room theyʼd go to
- If schools would use their chosen names
These worries made lots of young people reach out for help - showing how one election can shake up so many lives (even before any real changes happen)
