Kristi Noem says she has no idea why LGBTQ people might be depressed
sarcasm alert*), South Dakota’s GOP Governor, Kristi Noem was asked at a press conference yesterday about the mental health challenges facing LGBTQ people.The press conference comes a week after Noem signed a law banning young trans athletes from competing in sports aligning with their gender identity.Related: Kristi Noem had a very crappy weekend“There’s a statistic circulating around right now that says 90% of South Dakota’s LGBTQ community is diagnosed with either anxiety or depression,” says a reporter.“Mmmm,” responds Noem, nodding her head.“Why do you think that is?” asks the reporter.“I don’t know,” she shoots back. “That makes me sad and we should figure it out,” she continues impassionately, before nodding a bit more and then looking around for another question.Gov.
Kristi Noem (R-SD), who just signed the first anti-trans bill of 2022 into law, is asked why she thinks 90% of LGBTQ+ youth in South Dakota are diagnosed with anxiety or depression:“I don’t know.
That makes me sad, and we should figure it out.” pic.twitter.com/WbKr2Tlujs— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) February 17, 2022You can watch it on YouTube below.It’s long been known that LGBTQ people experience a disproportionate amount of depression and anxiety, usually linked to the discrimination they face throughout their lives.The specific data quoted on this occasion come from a report from HelpAdvisor.
It found across the US, 63% of LGBTQ people reported feeling “down, depressed or hopeless” at least once a week. This jumped to 87% in South Dakota, higher than any other state.Related: Kristi Noem in crisis mode over affair rumors, says she loves her husband, fears God, blah, blah, blahEarlier this month, Noem signed into law South Dakota’s.
