For LGBTQ Youth, Access to Identity-Affirming Care Can Save Lives

We’re honored to be teaming up with The Trevor Project—the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, & questioning (LGBTQ+) young people—as our newest cart partner. Since 1998, their life-saving programming, advocacy, research, and educational services have reached and supported LGBTQ+ youth across the country.

Plus, this Pride Month, we are proud to be supporting The Trevor Project as they share their #StoriesofPride campaign. Everyone’s story of pride is different, and these stories of hope, connection, and support have power — especially for LGBTQ+ youth on their journey to acceptance. You can donate directly to The Trevor Project's life-saving suicide prevention & crisis intervention services on their website, or by clicking the box in your Thinx cart at checkout on your next order.

Of course, Pride doesn’t end once June is over, and it’s always critically important to make sure that the LGBTQ+ individuals in your life are seen, heard, and supported. The newest research conducted by The Trevor Project in their 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Mental Health shows that rates of suicidal thoughts have trended upward among LGBTQ young people over the last three years — underlining the importance of promoting open discussions around mental health so we can work to destigmatize it.

Here are a few key findings from their research:

• 45% of LGBTQ young people considered attempting suicide in the past year. 

• Nearly 1 in 5 transgender & nonbinary youth attempted suicide. 

• LGBTQ youth of color reported higher rates of attempting suicide than their white peers. 

• 60% of LGBTQ youth who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it. 

• Fewer than 1 in 3 transgender & nonbinary youth found their home to be gender-affirming. 

• LGBTQ young people who found their school to be LGBTQ-affirming reported lower rates of attempting suicide. 

• LGBTQ youth with high support from their family reported attempting suicide at less than half the rate of those with lower support. 

• LGBTQ youth who live in an accepting community reported significantly lower rates of attempting suicide. 

While this research illuminates the significant challenges that LGBTQ+ youth face today, it also confirms what we know to be true: that supportive community, open conversations around mental health, and access to identity-affirming resources are crucial in creating an inclusive world where LGBTQ+ youth can thrive.

Especially as harmful anti-trans legislation has been advancing nationwide, it’s more important than ever to provide LGBTQ+ youth with supportive environments that can foster joy and strength. In the words of Dr. Jonah DeChants, Research Scientist at The Trevor Project: “Recent political attacks aimed at transgender and nonbinary youth have not only threatened their access to health care, support systems, and affirming spaces at school, they’ve also negatively impacted their mental health.”

Aligned in our missions to provide inclusive, identity-affirming support to our communities, we are honored to team up with The Trevor Project as our latest cart partner and amplify these impactful findings from their fourth annual national survey of LGBTQ youth.

You can make a donation to The Trevor Project when you checkout with any of our three brands. To learn more about their work, check out their website and Instagram.

If you or someone you know is feeling hopeless or suicidal, The Trevor Project’s trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via online chat at www.TheTrevorProject.org/Help, or by texting START to 678678.

Meg Loughman (she/her) is a bayou-born, Brooklyn-based writer & content strategist. When she’s not journaling to lofi beats at a cafe somewhere, she likes to moodboard and partake in slow, luxurious breakfasts. You can keep up with her work on her website and tune into her sporadic dispatches & musings on Instagram.