Sen. Laphonza Butler – the first Black and openly LGBTQ+ senator to serve in the Senate – and U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), led Senate colleagues in introducing the Pride in Mental Health Act which would strengthen mental health and crisis intervention resources for at-risk LGBTQ+ youth.

“Accessing mental health care and support has become increasingly difficult in nearly every state in the country,” Butler said. “Barriers get even more difficult if you are a young person who lacks a supportive community or is fearful of being outed, harassed or threatened. I am introducing the Pride in Mental Health Act to help equip LGBTQ+ youth with the resources to get the affirming and often life-saving care they need.”

“Mental health care is health care. And for some LGBTQ+ youth, receiving access to the mental health care they need can mean the difference between living in safety and dignity, and suffering alone through discrimination, bullying and even violence,” Smith said. “The data shows what many parents and educators see every day – an epidemic of students in classrooms dealing with anxiety, depression and other serious mental health conditions, with nowhere to turn. Meeting LGBTQ+ students where they already are – in school – helps us break down the stigma they might face and get kids the health care they need.”

LGBTQ+ youth experience disproportionate rates of mental health challenges. A 2023 study found that 54 percent of LGBTQ+ youth reported symptoms of depression, while only 35 percent of heterosexual youth reported similar feelings. LGBTQ+ high school students are also four times more likely to attempt suicide. These discrepancies can be linked to discrimination and lack of a supportive community in schools or at home. LGBTQ+ youth who found their school or home to be LGBTQ+ affirming reported significantly lower rates of suicide attempts.

Rates of these challenges have consistently risen over time and have been exacerbated by the pandemic. fifty-six percent of LGBTQ+ youth have not been able to get the mental health care that they want. Fewer than 1 in 3 mental health facilities in the United States provide LGBTQ+ services for adolescents. And 15 percent of LGBTQ+ youth even report being threatened with or subjected to conversion therapy. The Pride in Mental Health Act works to close LGBTQ+ mental health information gaps and improve physical and mental health in at-risk youth.

For full text of the bill, visit butler.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads /2024/03/Pride-in-Mental-Health-Act_Final-Text.pdf.