The Trevor Project & Puma announce $1m LGBTQ support
February 14, 2020
Last week, The Trevor Project and PUMA announced a $1 million partnership to foster inclusive environments for young LGBTQ athletes. The donation will help more than 1.8 million LGBTQ youth by supporting LGBTQ-inclusive environments in athletic facilities, as well as fostering positive mental health outcomes for young LGBTQ athletes.
As part of PUMA’s donation, The Trevor Project will develop and provide comprehensive educational resources that focus on LGBTQ mental health and intersectional inclusivity in sports. The donation will also advocate for safe spaces that support gender identity and sexual orientation, and strengthen mental health outcomes for LGBTQ youth athletes.
“The Trevor Project serves all LGBTQ young people, and many of them play sports,” said the Trevor Project’s head of corporate development, Muneer Panjwani. “For us to not partner with this audience, and not give them the resources they need, would not be staying true to our mission.”
The three-year partnership to The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people, will include multiple phases.
Throughout the first year, the organization will spend time researching homophobia in sports and developing methods on how to address the problem. Armed with data and research, it will then develop a curriculum to help coaches, athletes and administrators create inclusive environments for young LGBTQ athletes. The lessons will likely include training for coaches on how to become allies and how to handle emotional intervention.
“In our National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, 71% of LGBTQ youth reported discrimination due to either their sexual orientation or gender identity—that discrimination extends into sports and athletics,” said Amit Paley, CEO & Executive Director of The Trevor Project.
“We are grateful to PUMA for their partnership in raising awareness on the unique challenges that LGBTQ youth face in athletics and the correlating impact on their mental health, and for promoting The Trevor Project as an ongoing resource to young LGBTQ athletes across the country.”
In addition, PUMA will elevate The Trevor Project’s crisis services to its network of youth sports clubs, coaches and sports professionals.
“At PUMA, we believe everyone who wants to play sports, can and should be a part of the game, which is why we are proud to support The Trevor Project and their efforts in the LGBTQ community,” said PUMA’s Global Director of Brand and Marketing Adam Petrick. “Together, over the next three years, we hope to create a lasting impact for LGBTQ young people and youth athletes whether it’s on the field or in the locker room.”