When it comes to laws and policies addressing legal protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity, the best available science should always be the foundation.
Research shows that sexual minority individuals exhibit higher rates of physical and mental health problems than do heterosexuals – including depression, substance use disorders and cardiovascular disease. Transgender populations also report poorer health than heterosexual or cisgender (those whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth) populations - including mental health distress and thoughts of suicide.
