The Beauty of Pride: KISS and The Trevor Project Unite

Can you tell us about the Trevor Project and its mission in supporting LGBTQ+ youth?

The Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people. Our mission is to end suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) young people, and our vision is to create a world where all LGBTQ+ young people see a bright future for themselves.

What are some of the key challenges that LGBTQ+ youth face today, and how does the Trevor Project work to address these issues?

LGBTQ+ young people face a variety of unique challenges that their straight, cisgender peers simply never have to worry about. When we talk about the disproportionate suicide rates among LGBTQ+ young people, it’s important to clarify these youth are not inherently prone to suicide risk, but rather they are placed at a higher risk because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized in society. For example, many LGBTQ+ young people report experiencing discrimination, bullying, and physical violence because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. 

These types of anti-LGBTQ+ experiences can contribute to the higher rates of suicide observed among LGBTQ+ young people. Trevor’s research found that, in the past year, 41% of LGBTQ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, include 50% of transgender and nonbinary young people.

However, there is hope. Research shows that LGBTQ+ young people with at least one accepting adult in their lives report significantly lower rates of attempting suicide. Trevor aims to create the welcoming and just world our young people deserve — one accepting adult at a time.

The Trevor Project utilizes multiple strategies to end suicide, including both crisis intervention and suicide prevention. In the crisis intervention space, we operate 24/7, free crisis intervention services so that any LGBTQ+ young person who needs support can connect with one of our trained counselors anytime, day or night.

We know that it’s not enough to support LGBTQ+ young people while they are in crisis – we need to create a safer and more inclusive world so LGBTQ+ young people don’t enter a crisis in the first place. To accomplish our mission, we operate four suicide prevention programs:

(1) TrevorSpace, our safe-space social networking platform designed for LGBTQ+ young people; (2) Research, which produces an annual study on LGBTQ+ youth mental health; (3) Advocacy, where we work to protect LGBTQ+ young people via legislation, litigation, and coalition-building; and (4) Education, where we work with youth-serving adults to build skills around allyship andsuicide prevention.

How did the partnership between the Trevor Project and KISS Products come about?

KISS first began working with The Trevor Project in 2022, in honor of Pride Month and KISS’s commitment to the LGBTQ+ community. In 2023, we deepened the partnership alongside KISS’s expanded Pride collection. To date, KISS has donated $115,000 towards The Trevor Project’s mission, supporting our work to save young LGBTQ+ lives. We work closely together to engage customers and employees around our mission.

In what ways does the KISS Pride Collection of Nails and lashes contribute to the broader conversation about diversity and inclusion within the beauty industry?

KISS’s campaign this year is all about the beauty of Pride. Aligned with our work towards a world where everyone feels loved and supported for who they are, KISS is committed to inspiring its community to authentically express themselves and to build confidence in who they are. Beauty is not just one thing or for one person; anyone can wear lashes or nails. For many members of the LGBTQ+ community, things like our nails, lashes, and hair can help us better match how we look on the outside with who we are on the inside – and that can be so powerful for feeling good and comfortable in our own bodies.

Companies like KISS can also deepen their commitment to increasing diversity and inclusion in the beauty industry by hiring LGBTQ+ people, including LGBTQ+ models in campaigns, and amplifying and engaging with LGBTQ+ stories both during Pride month and all year-round.

How can individuals and other organizations get involved or support the Trevor Project?

Trevor’s crisis services are possible because of volunteers who donate their time and talents as crisis counselors, working alongside professional staff. Volunteering is an incredibly high impact way to directly show up for LGBTQ+ young people! To learn more about volunteering, visit https://www.thetrevorproject.org/volunteer/.

Volunteering for Trevor is a major commitment. But even if you don’t have the time or capacity for that, there are plenty of ways to get involved with our work. You can text “Trevor” to 50457 to receive up-to-date information on our advocacy work, and you can read and share our many free online allyship resources to learn more about LGBTQ+ young people and their experiences, as well as best-practice ways to support them. You can also donate to The Trevor Project here.

LGBTQ+ young people deserve to feel loved and accepted, and you can help make a difference for LGBTQ+ young people today by supporting our work at The Trevor Project.