Pure Romance CEO, gay rights leader unveil study that shows transgender teens in peril

Sharon Coolidge | Cincinnati Enquirer

Show Caption Hide Caption Living with Change: New foundation will support transgender clinic Living with Change: New foundation will support transgender clinic at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Chris Cicchinelli, who founded the Living with Change Foundation earlier this year after his child identified as transgender, wanted to know more about how LGBTQ youth have been treated by society, their families and in school.

He knew the answer would likely be heartbreaking, but there was little actual data on the subject.

That's why Cicchinelli, who is also the CEO of Pure Romance, on Thursday welcomed to city Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign. The gay rights group, in partnership with the University of Connecticut, surveyed LGBTQ teens that sought those answers.

The largest-of-its-kind survey explored the experiences, health and wellbeing of 12,000 LGBTQ teens across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., including 682 teens in Ohio.

The study released Thursday found:

64 percent of LGBTQ youth in Ohio have heard negative comments about being LGBTQ+ from their own family.

Only 23 percent of LGBTQ youth in Ohio are out to their closest family members about their sexual orientation.

12 percent of LGBTQ youth in Ohio were sexually attacked or raped because of their actual or assumed LGBTQ identity.

69 percent of LGBTQ youth in Ohio are teased or bullied in school because of their LGBTQ identity.

70 percent of LGBTQ youth in Ohio have received unwanted sexual comments, gestures, or jokes in the past year.

"Children’s Hospital is a beacon and Living with Change is committed to creating a Center of Excellence to increase services for trans youth," Cicchinelli said. "We want to make Cincinnati and every city safe for 100 percent of the students, not 99 percent. Education is key in our community, in our businesses, and in our schools to make this a safe, inclusive place for us to raise our children ."

More: Pure Romance CEO's daughter is transgender. He wants to help families like his.

More: Library settles transgender lawsuit, now covers transgender surgery

More: Leelah Alcorn, 3 years later: update on the transgender revolution

The Cincinnati region was home to Leelah Alcorn, a transgender teen who committed suicide in 2015. In a note left behind, she wrote, "The only way I will rest in peace is if one day transgender people aren't treated the way I was, they're treated like humans, with valid feelings and human rights." That note captured the hearts of millions around the world and spurred a national discussion about transgender rights.

Cincinnati is considered a leader helping transgender teens, with the creation of Living With Change, a foundation that trains teachers and other educators and provides financial support to the Adolescent and Transition Medicine Clinic at Cincinnati Children's Medical Center Hospital. Cicchinelli was joined by officials from Lighthouse Youth & Family Services and doctors and nurses from Cincinnati Children’s, who are working with LGBTQ youth,

Since 2014, Cincinnati has scored a perfect 100 on the Human Rights Index, much of it due to groundbreaking policies set by Cincinnati City Council.

Chris Seelbach, the foundation's director and Cincinnati City Council's first openly gay member, initiated many of the policies in that role.