Trans Stories are Everyone’s Stories: New PSA Campaign from HRC Foundation Aims to Increase Acceptance of Transgender Youth

Trans and non–binary teens face the same rites of passage into adulthood as everyone else does, and live far more relatable lives than anti-LGBTQ+ bullies would have you believe. That’s the key message of “Daniel Really Suits You,” the centerpiece of a new six-figure ad campaign from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation that began in September in key media markets across the country. “Daniel Really Suits You” was produced in partnership with BRINK Media Group and Comic Relief US.

Daniel is a teen just like any other – except he is followed by a camera as he navigates young adulthood – facing a driving test where he has to parallel park the family car after practicing with his mom, and then learning how to shave with his dad before his driver’s license photo gets taken. Daniel shows through these experiences that trans stories are everyone’s stories. Watch the full video here, as well as the 15s and 30s versions.

The campaign comes as trans youth are under attack across the country, and two months before an election where their rights and freedoms, from the classroom to the doctor’s office, are on the line.

 

Daniel’s story is just like every other teen’s story, and his life is just like all our lives. His parents have all the same hopes and dreams and fears as I do for my child and you might for yours. That’s why campaigns like this are so important–-we know that when people learn more about the everyday lives of the trans community, acceptance, understanding, and compassion follow. Because trans stories are everyone’s stories.
Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign

Message testing around “Daniel Really Suits You” continues to show that when people unfamiliar with transgender youth learn more about their lives, they walk away feeling more positively about LGBTQ+ people. When compared with a placebo video, testing showed a net +5 shift when asked about people’s rights to express their gender openly, with significant shifts of +17 among Americans ages 55 and up, +14 among Latino/a/e people, and +30 among those who describe themselves as moderate. Those who saw the ad were also less likely to say the country has gone “too far” in accepting transgender people and more likely to say we have not gone far enough, with a +6 net shift.

 

In a challenging and increasingly more divisive social and political environment where LGBTQ+ youth and their families are encountering unprecedented levels of discrimination, Comic Relief US is delighted to support Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s incredible work to increase understanding of trans and non-binary youth in support of their safety, inclusion and well-being. With the premier of ‘Daniel Really Suits You’ marking the launch of their new PSA campaign, HRC Foundation aims to promote a stronger sense of belonging, self-acceptance, and resilience among trans youth, particularly in states where trans youth rights are under attack and storytelling may be the key to changing hearts and minds.
Ayo Roach, SVP of Grants at Comic Relief US

In 2023, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC) published its groundbreaking LGBTQ+ Youth Report, surveying the lives and experiences of young people in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It showed a community facing tremendous challenges, but also with reason for hope:

  • More than 80% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth were “out” to at least one member of their immediate family, but only a little over two thirds of transgender and non-binary youth were out.

  • The report showed that when parents accept and affirm their child’s identity, the positive mental health impacts are substantial – and the harm in its absence can be life-threatening. For example, in youth who reported their family never used their name or correct pronouns, about two-thirds reported experiencing depression, while that decreased to about half of those whose family was always affirming.

  • Parents and family members may be on their own journey towards acceptance – and that’s OK.

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