Transgender students in Maine public schools this year faced more than twice the threats, violence and bullying of their peers, according to new state data—disparities advocates say are worsening as political attacks on LGBTQ-inclusive school policies escalate.
They were also more than four times as likely to attempt suicide, and more than three times as likely to self-harm through cutting or burning themselves, according to the latest Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey, which was conducted Feb. through March 2025 and studies the mental and physical health of students 5th grade and older.
Trans students, who make up almost 4% of high schoolers and 2% of older middle schoolers in the state, have been disproportionately impacted by bullying and poor mental health, according to several years of data. Since the survey began asking about gender expression in 2019, that trend has remained consistent.
Read more at Maine Morning Star.
