The Trevor Project Film Learn With Love Spotlights Young Trans People, Loved Ones

The Trevor Project released on Tuesday Learn With Love, a documentary short film telling the stories of three transgender young people and their relationships with loved ones.

“The documentary is part of the Trevor Project’s enduring advocacy initiative to cultivate public awareness and acceptance of transgender and nonbinary experiences, bolster messages of support and love for young people who hold these identities, and ultimately work toward ending suicide among LGBTQ young people,” says a press release from the organization.

The film features the stories of Kaiden and his mother, Skyler and her grandfather, and Lyndon and a pastor who took him in after his family rejected him. The stories illustrate the tenacity and resilience of young trans people and explore what’s possible when people who love them are able to learn and evolve.

“Rather than dwell on the persistent barriers that so many transgender young people face, this documentary explores the breakthroughs — underscoring the importance of openness, education, and love as a basic human need,” the Trevor Project explains.

“Seven in 10 Americans have never met a transgender person, and it can be hard for them to distinguish between stereotypes that saturate today’s national discourse and what it really means to be transgender,” Kasey Suffredini, vice president of advocacy and government affairs at the Trevor Project, said in the press release. “This year, more than 150 anti-LGBTQ bills have been considered in the first two weeks of 2023 alone. This harsh, stigmatizing political climate only raises the stakes to protect transgender youth, who are already marginalized. When Americans learn their stories, they are moved to support them. In a time of increasing polarization, Learn With Love captures three beautiful stories and shows the power of one-on-one connection to overcome misinformation and change hearts and minds.”

“Our goal is to develop content that amplifies the human experience and ultimately helps foster deeper understanding and acceptance of LGBTQ young people among the general public,” added Megan Stowe, head of content at the Trevor Project and director of Learn With Love. “This film is just the beginning of a larger content series we have planned, and we hope that this new way of storytelling will be a powerful force in shifting public perception and drawing more allies and advocates to our critical work.”

The film is a collaboration between the Trevor Project’s in-house content team and Imposter, a boutique production company. The release marks the beginning of a new content strategy for the Trevor Project, “designed to reach the general public at the national level with authentic, educational, impactful, youth-driven storytelling,” the press release notes. The group has a new content team.

Supporters include Anne Wojcicki Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation, Alexander Hill, Daniel Radcliffe, Dorian Kendal and Jared Hunt-Kendal, Kym Foglia-Wagner, Macy’s, the Moxley Family Foundation, Murray/Reese Foundation, NHL, Paycom, Richison Family Foundation, Ricky Strauss, Teva, and UGG. The full film is below.

If you are having thoughts of suicide or are concerned that someone you know may be, resources are available to help. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 is for people of all ages and identities.

Trans Lifeline, designed for transgender or gender-nonconforming people, can be reached at (877) 565-8860. The lifeline also provides resources to help with other crises, such as domestic violence situations.

The Trevor Project Lifeline, for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger), can be reached at (866) 488-7386. Users can also access chat services at TheTrevorProject.org/Help or text START to 678678.

Learn With Love: Episode 1www.youtube.com