A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that transgender students face more challenges than other students, including discrimination and violence at school.
In 2023, 3.3% of U.S. high school students identified as transgender, and 2.2% identified as questioning. According to the report, one in four transgender students experienced some kind of violence at school and failed to attend school due to safety concerns. Nearly 70% of transgender students said they had recurring feelings of sadness or hopelessness, compared to 5% of cisgender male students and 11% of cisgender female students.
NJ Spotlight News spoke with Sam Holovacs, a former Sparta High School student who is transgender, about the findings.
“I think surrounding a lot of stigma with transgender students — and especially with a lot more coming out where people are trying to take away protections from us — a lot more people find themselves increasingly isolated,” Holovacs said.
The study comes during a time when parental rights and LGBTQ+ rights are being widely debated in New Jersey’s schools and Statehouse and those across the country.
