“I Just Want to Be Accepted by Others": How Transgender Young People Seek and Experience Online Support
Online communities serve as essential lifelines for transgender young people, providing critical mental health support, mentorship, and identity affirmation that are often unavailable in their in-person environments.
The study, conducted in partnership with Born This Way Foundation, surveyed 1,267 LGBTQ+ young people ages 15-24 across the United States, including 696 who identify as transgender. The research was uniquely shaped by transgender young people themselves through youth co-design of the survey and co-distillation of results.
Digital Communities Foster Resilience and Pride
The report underscores the essential role that online communities play in the lives of transgender young people. These digital spaces offer emotional support, identity affirmation, practical resources, and opportunities for connection that are often missing in their in-person environments. For many, the internet is one of the only places where they can safely express their identity and build relationships with others who understand their experiences.
Challenging Harmful Misconceptions
The research directly counters common misconceptions about transgender identity and online influence. Participants emphasized that being transgender is not an online trend, but rather that transgender young people seek out these communities because they already hold those feelings, and online support helps them better understand and accept who they are.
"I think there's this constant assumption... that online spaces create trans people, whereas that's not the case. It's people coming to these online spaces because they already have those thoughts, those feelings, and just further finding themselves,"
Key Findings
Key Finding 01
Transgender Young People Are More Likely to Describe Online Communities as Important When They Were First Understanding Their Identity
Transgender young people were significantly more likely than cisgender LGBQ+ peers to describe online communities as “important” or “very important” when they were first exploring their identity (42% vs 32%). This difference may reflect that transgender young people often lack access to affirming, in-person resources and instead rely on digital spaces to meet those needs.
“[Online communities] were extremely important to me back in high school when I was first exploring my gender and identity in a very religious household. In a time when I could not yet access fundamental support in person, I was able to befriend people like me online.”
Key Finding 02
Nearly Half of Transgender Young People Report Feeling “Very Safe” Expressing Their Identity Online
Transgender young people feel significantly safer expressing their identity online than in person. Nearly half (47%) say they feel “very safe” expressing their identity online, compared to only 7% who feel “very safe” doing so in person—nearly a sixfold difference.
“Online communities have granted me the ability to express myself freely and be proud of who I am. In the real world, I become a target if I do that, so I tend to keep to myself.”
Key Finding 03
Transgender Young People with Greater Pride and Community Connection Report Higher Flourishing
Transgender young people who are proud of having a gender identity different from their sex assigned at birth are significantly more likely to report flourishing. Over half (53%) of transgender young people who reported pride in their identities met the cutoff for flourishing, compared to 30% of those who did not report pride.
“I remember being first introduced to the LGBTQ+ community when I was about 11, and I was lucky enough to find [online] communities of people who supported me, and I know that their unconditional support and love is part of why I am so confident with my identity and so unapologetically myself today. I wish everyone like me could have that because it’s so freeing.”
Key Finding 04
Transgender Young People with Higher Levels of Transgender Pride and Community Connection Report Lower Rates of Depression
Transgender young people who are proud to have a gender identity different from their sex assigned at birth are significantly less likely to meet the cutoff for depression (46% vs. 61%) compared to those who were not proud. In open-ended responses, transgender participants described how online communities helped them develop a sense of pride in their identity.
“[A] Facebook genderfluid group helped me discover and be proud of my gender when I was questioning and being shunned by my family.”
Key Finding 05
More than 9 in 10 Transgender Young People Feel Comfortable with Their LGBTQ+ Identity
Transgender young people are significantly more likely than their cisgender LGBQ+ peers to report feeling comfortable with their LGBTQ+ identity (91% vs. 84%).
“A lot of [transgender] people, they have this feeling that they push down for most of their lives, like myself, or maybe they have to hide for a while because of family or the environment they’re in. But then, when they’re finally able to be themselves or they start to recognize who they are in the mirror, that’s very exciting and rewarding. And I think it’s like you go through all these things, and eventually, you’re just proud to finally be who you are.”
Key Finding 06
Nearly Three in Four Transgender Young People Regularly Support Others Online
Transgender young people were significantly more likely than their cisgender LGBQ+ peers to give support to others online several times a month or more (74% vs. 63%).
“I’ve seen and been in chats about ways to help masculinize yourself as a trans man, I’ve seen people ask and receive workout advice, people share resources for different charities or places to get gender-affirming things like binders, trans tape, testosterone, etc. I’ve also seen people help people pay for gender-affirming surgeries through GoFundMe and other apps.”
Key Finding 07
Transgender Young People Are More Concerned About Restricted Access to LGBTQ+ Online Content
High proportions of both transgender and cisgender LGBTQ+ young people expressed being concerned that their state or the federal government might limit their access to LGBTQ+-affirming online communities and content. However, transgender young people were significantly more likely than cisgender LGBQ+ young people to report this concern (91% vs. 83%).
“Without access to trans elders, neurodiverse folks, resources, and safe communities online, I would not be here.”
Allies Play An Important Role
Beyond offering kindness and individual support, allies must advocate for inclusive policies and practices that protect transgender young people and affirm their right to live as their authentic selves.
