The electoral power and prowess of young LGBTQ+ people and allies are a force for change. And with record levels of anti-LGBTQ+ attacks continuing in state legislatures and Congress in 2024, compounded with the potential return to power of an extremist and authoritarian ex-president, this change can’t come fast enough. That is why the Human Rights Campaign has invested, and will continue to invest, in strategically engaging, empowering and mobilizing young LGBTQ+ people and allies to participate in our campaigning and organizing efforts for pro-equality candidates and ballot measures in this year’s election.

Hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ bills have already been filed in dozens of state legislatures so far this year, many of which directly threaten the lives of young trans and non-binary people by outlawing access to age-appropriate, gender-affirming health care. Additionally, some state bills aim to silence and erase LGBTQ+ voices and stories by censoring educational content in public schools.

To help mobilize young LGBTQ+ people to contest these bills and make clear to lawmakers that there will be repercussions in November for anti-LGBTQ+ political attacks, HRC has been coordinating and strategizing with youth-led organizations such as Queer Youth Assemble. Reg Calcagno, HRC’s national campaign director, said that these kinds of efforts are essential to make clear to anti-LGBTQ+ politicians that “the future is now.”

Calcagno said that while HRC has helped provide strategies and tools for youth-led organizations to organize and mobilize against anti-LGBTQ+ legislative efforts and attacks, it is them, LGBTQ+ youth, that truly hold the power.

“LGBTQ+ youth played, and will continue to play, a much larger role in our organizing and response to terrible legislation advancing around the country, “said Calcagno. “It’s important to note that while HRC has supported efforts from groups like QYA, it’s the youth that are leading these efforts. We provide resources and our guidance, but they largely own these efforts.”

Ted Lewis, director of the Human Right Campaign Foundation’s Youth and Family program, said that while it is important to arm LGBTQ+ youth with the right resources and tools for them to advocate for themselves and their communities, it is still important to acknowledge that they are young people with much at stake.

“The avalanche of state bills that harm LGBTQ+ youth could very likely be elevated to a national level based on the outcome of this coming election, so the stakes for LGBTQ+ youth are extremely high,” said Lewis. “At the same time, youth have to balance their engagement in activism with the hateful poisonous rhetoric of our opposition that can have a damaging impact on the mental health and well-being of LGBTQ+ youth, particularly transgender youth. In this current toxic political landscape, adult allies can support youth by showing up with them, providing care and mental health resources and providing safe and affirming ways to stay engaged in the political process.”

According to Lewis, who works closely with LGBTQ+ youth through the HRC Foundation's Youth Ambassadors program, LGBTQ+ youth are “very aware of the stakes of the upcoming election.”

“They see it every day, whether through witnessing the oppression of their peers, or being victimized by the anti-LGBTQ+ bills themselves,” said Lewis. “They feel alone, confused and vulnerable. The best way adult allies can support them are by advocating for them in the classrooms, school board meetings and legislatively. Youth need to know that they’re not fighting these battles alone. Having adult allies that stand behind them during these tumultuous times makes all the difference.”

“Anti-LGBTQ+ bills, even if they don’t pass, have a negative impact on the mental health and feelings of self-worth for LGBTQ+ youth,” said Lewis. “Already, six in 10 of LGBTQ+ youth report being teased, bullied or treated badly at school for at least one reason. Half of LGBTQ+ youth report feeling unsafe in at least one school setting. Youth are concerned that they are being erased through curriculum censorship, book bans, bans on gender-affirming care and more. They are concerned not only by the hatred and misinformation that is fueling anti-LGBTQ+ bills, but also the rising hateful rhetoric that puts them at danger from violence for simply being themselves.”

For these reasons, Lewis said, it is important for older LGBTQ+ people and allies to continue to demonstrate our unyielding support for LGBTQ+ youth.

As LGBTQ+ young people prepare themselves for the upcoming legislative fights, Calcagno said that it is important for the LGBTQ+ community at large to remember that “our community possesses tremendous political power,” something that Wetrosky says is crucial as the nation decides on its future.

“A small handful of battleground states and congressional districts will determine who is in the White House and who controls Congress after this year’s election, and nearly every one of these key states and districts will be decided by the smallest of margins. By not only showing up to vote, but also doing everything they can between now and November to support pro-equality candidates, LGBTQ+ voters, and especially young LGBTQ+ voters, have the potential to permanently transform and reshape politics in the United States for years to come,” said Wetrosky. “It’s the only way we’ll be able to build a future where everyone can be free and comfortable to be their authentic selves.”