Burlington, Vermont-based Ben & Jerry’s has launched a billboard campaign to stand with transgender youth who have been targeted by the latest wave of attempted new laws.
In partnership with the National Center for Transgender Equality, the billboards are targeting four states: Florida, Texas, Georgia and Virginia – all of which have introduced anti-trans legislation in recent months. The message on the billboards, placed within each state’s capital, reads “We Stand with Trans Youth and Those Who Love Them.”
“At a time when many politicians are criminalizing access to health care for trans youth – in addition to other efforts to marginalize them – we felt it important to make a public stand in support for them and their friends and families. We see them, we hear them, we stand with them,” said Maroni Minter, U.S. activism manager for Ben & Jerry’s.
“After years and years of progress in the LGBTQ+ and trans community, this wave of regressive legislation is trying to take us backwards not forward. In the face of this reality, it is more important than ever that we not remain silent.”
This initiative, which launched May 23, is part of Ben & Jerry’s ongoing body of work around advancing justice for those in the LGBTQ+ community and is in collaboration with its partner, the National Center for Transgender Equality.
“Through no fault of their own, transgender youth are under attack by some of the most powerful people in the states where they live,” said Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, executive director of the NCTE. “Transgender kids deserve to be seen, to be loved, and to be treated with respect. These laws will cause tremendous pain to many families, and even worse, they give permission to other people to harass and discriminate against transgender people.
“There will be lasting consequences on young people and their families, who are all just trying to live their lives. These laws are mean, hateful, and aimed directly at kids. We are grateful to Ben & Jerry’s for standing with transgender young people and their families, and for reminding us all that we are not alone.”
On top of the four states included in the campaign, 31 states have seen legislative activity that seeks to marginalize the transgender community. Additionally, Ben & Jerry’s will also be placing a newspaper ad in Vermont. The state has been dealing with its own anti-LGBTQ+ activity, including the recent murder of a trans woman, vandalism of a local LGBTQ+ community center and hateful messages targeting local school staff for hosting workshops about gender equity.
For more information, visit benjerry.com.
