This report was released a year ago but just now came to the attention of Orthodoxy in Dialogue. The numbers are surprisingly high. We continue to urge the whole body of the Church—bishops, priests, deacons, monastics, theologians, laypeople—to study and reflect upon these things prayerfully, with pastoral discernment, and acknowledging the importance of the testimony of the empirical and social sciences and of transgender people themselves.

The Williams Institute is a think tank on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy founded in 2001 at the UCLA School of Law and dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research with real-world relevance.

See the extensive Sexuality and Gender section in our Archives by Author. Click here if you or a loved one in the US or Canada is in need of a transgender suicide hotline.

New Estimates Show that 150,000 Youth Ages 13 to 17 Identify as Transgender in the US

In addition to 0.6 percent of U.S. adults (1.4 million individuals), new study finds that 0.7 percent of youth ages 13 to 17 identify as transgender

An estimated 0.7 percent of youth ages 13 to 17, or 150,000 youth, identify as transgender in the United States, according to a new study released by The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. This study is the first to provide population estimates for youth who identify as transgender in each of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia.

The study, titled Age of Individuals Who Identify as Transgender in the United States, by Jody L. Herman, Ph.D., Andrew R. Flores, Ph.D., Taylor N. T. Brown, MPP, Bianca D.M. Wilson, Ph.D., and Kerith J. Conron, Sc.D., provides new estimates of the age composition of individuals who identify as transgender in the U.S. and estimates of the size of the transgender-identified population by age group. The youngest age group, 13 to 17, has the highest estimated percentage of individuals who identify as transgender.

“Current policy debates in several states have involved legislation that would impact transgender students,” said Dr. Jody L. Herman. “Our estimates suggest that thousands of youth could be negatively impacted by laws that would limit their access to school facilities and undermine protections against discrimination.”

Key findings from the report:

• In the U.S. population, the study estimates that 0.7 percent of youth ages 13 to 17, 0.7 percent of young adults ages 18 to 24, 0.6 percent of adults ages 25 to 64, and 0.5 percent of adults ages 65 and older identify as transgender.
• About 150,000 youth (13 to 17) and 1.4 million adults (18 and older) identify as transgender in the U.S.
• Of individuals ages 13 and older who identify as transgender in the U.S., 10 percent are youth (13 to 17), 13 percent are young adults (18 to 24), 63 percent are ages 25 to 64, and 14 percent are ages 65 and older. This distribution is similar to the age distribution of the general population.
• Mirroring the relative population size of U.S. states, the largest populations of youth that identify as transgender are found in California, Texas, New York, and Florida. The smallest populations are found in North Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.

“Agencies and institutions that have a responsibility to protect and promote the wellbeing of adolescents now have an idea of how many transgender youth should be served in every state in the U.S.,” remarked Dr. Kerith J. Conron.

For Age of Individuals who Identify as Transgender in the United States, the authors utilized data from the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a national, state-administered survey, which collected data on transgender identity among adults in 19 states for the first time in 2014. The BRFSS represents the best available population-based data to study the size and characteristics of adults who identify as transgender. The authors used an advanced statistical method to produce population estimates for youth, as well as adults. Inclusion of gender identity measures in population-based youth surveys remains necessary to advance knowledge about the size, characteristics, and needs of the transgender youth population.

This report was released on January 17, 2017 on the website of The Williams Institute.

Orthodoxy in Dialogue seeks to promote the free exchange of ideas by offering a wide range of perspectives on an unlimited variety of topics. Our decision to publish implies neither our agreement nor disagreement with an author, in whole or in part.

A blessed Feast of the Circumcision and St. Basil the Great, and a Happy New Year!