A surge in legislation targeting trans youth "could come at the literal cost of lives," advocates warn

In a year that's taken a devastating toll on children across the country, transgender youth have faced an additional challenge: A surge in legislation that aims to curb their rights. Advocates are warning that the rise in bills targeting trans youth could worsen the mental health of an already vulnerable population, and could "come at the literal cost of lives." 

Legislators have introduced more than 75 bills in 2020 and 2021 that specifically target transgender youth, many of which concern health care and access to school sports, according to a tally from the ACLU.  Jennifer Pizer, law and policy director at Lambda Legal, told CBS News the number of bills is "an unsettling and deeply disturbing show of ignorance and political targeting, and lack of concern for the young people in particular, whose not just rights, but lives are being set to be trampled by legislators."