Meanwhile, mental health professionals have been warning about lasting negative effects of anti LGBTQ policies on young people as school boards across the state consider rules some opponents warn could out students based on their gender identity.

Supporters say the policies protect parental rights and children but there's growing concern about the emotional toll it'll take.

Mental health writer Bobby Brier is with me now to explain.

Hey, Bobby, good to see you.

There's been a lot of talk about the policies at large, but not as much about what could actually transpire.

You know, years down the road for the kids who are you know, facing this right now.

What did your reporting find?

Yeah, Briana, I spoke to a number of advocates and mental health professionals as well as students and they really spoke about the fact that right now in either adolescence or even pre-teen years, kids are going through so much and so many emotional challenges to begin with.

Just by the very nature of growing up.

To add to this, for LGBTQ young people to have policies in place that essentially as many folks had said, makes them feel kind of unsafe in school environments, just adds to the already high amounts of anxiety and depression that they've already been experiencing.

Yeah.

And I mean, bring us up to speed, if you can, on where that mental health crisis stands for LGBTQ youth.

Sure.

It's it's still certainly in a crisis, although there are a number of people statewide and nationwide looking to stem that issue.

It should be noted that national civil rights organizations like the Human Rights Campaign just last week or earlier this month, came out with what they called a state of emergency for LGBTQ people, essentially noting that over this year alone, over 500 bills have been passed excuse me have been introduced in state houses nationwide, which have been deemed to be anti LGBTQ that could be from a pronoun listing to also improper gender identity and curriculum censorship.

So these are things that are ongoing Of course, we know that the New Jersey attorney general and their office has a lawsuit that is still ongoing in Superior Court against Hanover Township Board of Education with a hearing coming next week related to these very issues.

But I mean, give us a little bit more context.

You describe it in your piece you had a quote about it being mental gymnastics for these students, essentially having to navigate who is safe to tell.

What's safe to tell?

Where they can speak about their true identity?

I mean, what type of pressure is that putting on youth?

The pressure is enormous.

Right now.

Unfortunately, before we had the pandemic, this was an issue that was at the crux for many LGBTQ young people.

Essentially, when if they don't feel as though they have a safe space in a school to go towards a counselor or a therapist who may be able to lend a helpful ear.

And if they don't have that and they can't go home to an affirming house, essentially they're feeling stuck.

And if they don't know of any resources That's really when the crisis gets to a tipping point.

And unfortunately, we're starting to see that nationwide with the high numbers of suicidal ideation among LGBTQ young people.

All right.

Really important reporting there.

Bobby Brier for us.

Thanks, Bobby.

Thank you, Briana.