Empowering LGBTQ young people, on and off the field.
It’s time to get in the game—together.
The Trevor Project’s mission is to end suicide among LGBTQ young people, and data suggests that inclusive sports participation can promote positive mental health outcomes among LGBTQ young people — from peer acceptance to higher self-esteem.
The reality is that LGBTQ young people face numerous barriers to accessing life-affirming sports spaces, including a dangerous new wave of bills seeking to restrict LGBTQ young athletes’ ability to play as their authentic selves. According to a new poll on the impacts of social and political Issues on LGBTQ young people, 85% of transgender and nonbinary young people say that recent debates around anti-trans bills have negatively impacted their mental health.
That’s why The Trevor Project and PUMA have partnered to launch a new movement to #REFORMTheLockerRoom. Our goal: to foster safer and more inclusive environments that support LGBTQ young people and reduce their risk of suicide.
Now’s the time to #REFORMThe
#REFORMTheLockerRoom takes a stand
#REFORMTheLockerRoom’s hallmark offering will be a digital education course for young people-serving adults in the athletics space that demystifies LGBTQ young people’s identity and suicide and explores how sports participation can positively impact young people’s mental health—because every LGBTQ athlete should have the ability to play as their authentic self.
Championing change via education.
This new curriculum will provide actionable steps on what coaches, athletics directors, and other adult-age sports leaders can do to make their own locker rooms, courts, and fields more welcoming.
Demonstrating the benefits of sports participation.
Alongside our community partners, #REFORMTheLockerRoom will increase awareness and advance the national conversation about how life-affirming sports participation can be a protective factor against suicide among LGBTQ young people.
Helping coaches become better allies.
Coaches and other individuals who make decisions about sports can access key resources, from how to support an athlete who has recently come out to understanding the unique experiences of transgender and nonbinary young athletes.
Driving increased representation of LGBTQ athletes.
Visibility matters. #REFORMTheLockerRoom will amplify the voices of LGBTQ athletes, giving them a platform to share their personal journeys and the positive impact sports has had on their lives.
Why #REFORM now?
We’re inspired by the increasing visibility of LGBTQ athletes at the professional and collegiate levels. But for middle- and high-school-aged LGBTQ young people, we have a long way to go to level the playing field.
Supportive policies and practices that affirm and protect young LGBTQ athletes have been slow to emerge, and sports participation remains more common among LGBTQ young people who are less “out” about their LGBTQ identity. Our data show nearly one in three LGBTQ young people surveyed participate in sports. This rate is lower than that of the broader population of young people in the United States, with more than half participating in sports in any given year (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2019). In 2023 so far, over 500 anti-LGBTQ laws have been introduced in state legislatures around the country (including over 65 sports bans.)
1 in 3
One in three LGBTQ young people who were not “out” to anyone about their sexual orientation participated in sports compared to one in five who were “out” to all or most of those they knew.
2x
Young people who identified as cisgender and LGBQ were nearly 2x as likely to report sports participation compared to transgender or nonbinary young people.
20%
Twenty percent of LGBTQ young people without an in-person LGBTQ-affirming space, such as a school, attempted suicide in the previous 12 months compared to 12% of those who reported at least one in-person LGBTQ-affirming space.
40%
LGBTQ young people who report having at least one accepting adult in their life, such as a coach, teacher, or parent, were 40% less likely to report a suicide attempt in the previous 12 months.
45 seconds
At least one LGBTQ young person between the ages of 13 and 24 attempts suicide every 45 seconds in the U.S.
#REFORM is more than a campaign. It’s a rallying cry.
Join us to #REFORMTheLockerRoom
Whether you’re an administrator, a coach, a parent, or a student, you can support LGBTQ young people and help drive positive sports environments for all.
Take our training today**this training has been optimized for use on a desktop computer.
If you or someone you know needs help or support, The Trevor Project’s crisis counselors are available 24/7. You can reach a counselor by calling TrevorLifeline at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at TheTrevorProject.org/Help, or by texting 678-678.