Nearly ½ of trans persons have seriously considered suicide.* They're
also far more likely to attempt.
Collectively, gender-diverse and trans people are also far more likely to be victims of interpersonal violence.* The Trans Murder Monitoring Project reports 1,374 deaths since January 2008.
78% of gender non-conforming youth report “significant abuse at school.”*
It’s also a diversity issue.* Hispanic and Black youth who identify as transgender or gender diverse in any way are twice as likely to attempt suicide.
We want this to change. We believe we can play a role in that change, with you.
Our Solution:
We see access to the simplest things can be denied. We
want to provide trans and gender-diverse youth with an easy means to
get what they need-- be it toiletries, clothing, or higher-end items like
binders, binaried clothing, and bras.
Subscription boxes are a trending way of trying out new products, or getting access to things you need every so-often. We'd like to provide subscription boxes with pride items, books selected by the community around this project (see our "Community" header, later), binders, bras, clothing item of the binary the recipient wants, and other great items into a completely customizeable subscription box package.
Every box purchased by a sponsor gives one to a trans or non-binary spectrum youth. This is the most important part of the project to us. Providing youth with access to items which they may need, and also providing them with a Letter of Encouragement (which will be handwritten and unique, and come in every youth box), is a small way of helping trans youth who might be in an un-supportive or financially strapped home.
I know you-- you’re asking how we can do this. The best way to help this project is to purchase something (for yourself or someone close to you) or to share the project!
BOX LISTING
This is the moment you've been waiting for... what's in the darn things?
Here's a list of what's might be in a typical box, and each
box will be entirely customized for the recipient including size, color
(as we're able), binary or non-binary, and much more.
Box List #1- 4+ pride trinkets, customized to the recipient's identity: including keychains, tattoos, stickers, pins, and pronoun pins.
- 3 panties or gaffs, in the recipient's size
- 1 binder or 2 bras or 2 clothing items, customized to YOUR needs
- national and local resources
- and, for Youth boxes: a Letter of Encouragement
and another potential box:
Box List #2:
- 4+ pride trinkets, customized to the recipient's identity: including keychains, tattoos, stickers, pins, and pronoun pins.
- a toiletry & tool kit of your choice
- a stand to pee or makeup
- 1 clothing item in the recipient's size or a book
- national and local resources
- and, for Youth boxes: a Letter of Encouragement
Brands & Wholesalers could include:
- .5cc clothing
- Underworks
- gc2b
- various items from Etsy artists who are allies, trans (binary or non-binary)
- Gender Portraits books, pins, etc.!
- Items from the Breast Form Store
Who Benefits?
You.
Your heart will feel so warm and gooey, on top of the physical benefit
of the reward you’ll be sent (digitally or through the mail!). You can
even be one of the first people to sign up for a subscription box (one-time delivery or 4-time, quarterly delivery)!
Us. We, those terrible, naval-gazing millennials get to do some good.
But most of all…
The youth. They’ll have a sustainable way of getting what they need, and the encouragement to get through what is more than likely the hardest period of their lives.
Here are some quotes from the youth we've reached out to:
"Access to binders and non-binaried clothing to me means that I am loved
and appreciated by my LGBT family all around the world. It makes me
feel like I matter. If I suddenly had a way of getting them, to me it
would mean that I could finally be me."
"It means the absolute world to me. I need a binder as my chest dysphoria is severe but I cannot afford one at the moment. Access to this sort of material would be life changing for so many people, and so many would be extremely grateful for these things."
Our Income & Cost Projections
Our
base cost is calculated through a goal of selling 200 total boxes so
that we can build our presence, marketing, website (better), brand,
internal systems, etc.
TOTAL: $15,400 broken down as:
$1100 for pride items for the boxes, as well as the boxes themselves and packing materials.
$2,800 for shipping for all the boxes (since they're buy-one-give-one, this figure it large!)
$500
for toiletries and discrete bags (and both sponsors and youth will be
able to pick their binary, or no binary on these items!)
$7,000 on
clothing, binders, bras, stand-to-pees, books, and other miscellaneous
requests (of which, we anticipate 32% going to binders alone)
$4,000
for warehouse space, overhead (including purchase of Quickbooks,
marketing, website, social channel presence, and potential help packing
boxes, etc.)
How it’ll Work
This is a buy-one-give-one program, where your purchase of a subscription box provides one for a trans youth in need.
The youth will be nominated by their center or a friend/relative.
If they're not out to anyone, they can nominate themselves. We’ve
reached out to every center we can find, and we will let them know when
we’re ready to accept nominations. The age of the potential recipient,
as well as the timing of the nomination, and finally filling out the
paperwork that allows us to fulfill all of our internal needs (for
things like reporting), will be the one of the only 2 necessary criteria
to become a receiver of a subscription-- the other will be being 24 or
younger.
Logistics. For sponsors, we'll be switching information over to either cratejoy.com
or WooCommerce, where we'll create accounts for you in order to track
boxes, preferences, etc! Youth subscriptions may be taken over to one of
these places-- but we're working out the logistics and safety measures.
Please note that we will ship worldwide.
Community & Special Thanks
There's already an amazing community of support around this project: at least 30 Centers across the US and Canada have agreed to be a pick-up locations for the boxes, for youth who do not feel comfortable receiving mail at their houses, or if the youth have unstable or no housing.
Additionally, we've already begin forming relationships with retail vendors (.5cc, breast form suppliers, stand to pee suppliers, and loads of other people!) to solidify wholesale pricing on many of these items.
These amazing people are to thank for us being able to get off the ground:
Drew from BeanieExpress
Rosie the Rambler Social Justice Pins
Radical Buttons
Dexlar
Sandra Black Culliton
Prickly Cactus Collage
Drew's Tattoos
elastic heart & thanks for the logo!
edenxdesigns
Final Request
This
is, in so many ways, a community project-- shaped and un-roughed by
many hands, hearts, and tireless hours of labor. If you love this
project, please support it financially (if you're able). If you're
unable to do that, but really want to be a part of this -- get in touch. We'll find a way for you to help!
