EyeBuyDirect Echoes New Findings On LGBTQ Youth Mental Health From The Trevor Project

Online Eyewear Retailer Supports LGBTQ Community with Eyewear Pride Collection and Donation

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Jun 02, 2021, 08:30 ET

LOS ANGELES, June 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today EyeBuyDirect reiterated its support for the LGBTQ community by echoing brand new data on mental health published by The Trevor Project at the official start of Pride Month. The survey sheds light on the impacts of COVID-19 and other societal factors among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth in the U.S.

Here are some of the key results from the survey:

Suicide attempt disparities among LGBTQ youth by race/ethnicity: 12% of white youth attempted suicide compared to 31% of Native/Indigenous youth, 21% of Black youth, 21% of multiracial youth, 18% of Latinx youth, and 12% of Asian/Pacific Islander youth.
70% of LGBTQ youth stated their mental health was "poor" most of the time or always during COVID-19. Yet, nearly half of LGBTQ youth could not access the mental health care they desired.
More than 80% of LGBTQ youth stated COVID-19 made their living situation more stressful — and only 1 in 3 LGBTQ youth found their home to be LGBTQ-affirming.
Affirming transgender and nonbinary youth by respecting their pronouns and allowing them to change their name and/or gender marker on legal documents is associated with lower rates of attempting suicide.

On May 13, EyeBuyDirect launched Eyewear Pride, a collection of rainbow-colored eyewear symbolizing a more accepting and inclusive world, in partnership with Lele Pons—singer, actress, global entertainer, and ally to the LGBTQ community. The launch coincided with the release of these new findings and added urgency to the support for The Trevor Project's lifesaving work. The online eyewear retailer will donate up to $50,000 of all frame sales from this product line to support the organization.

"The results from The Trevor Project's annual survey on LGBTQ youth mental health are eye-opening and reinforce the need for partnerships like ours," said Jim Merk, Brand Director for EyeBuyDirect. "We hope our contributions through collections like Eyewear Pride and See Me can have a positive impact on the lives of many LGBTQ youth."

The Eyewear Pride frames range from $19 to $29 and include six rainbow translucent styles in four shapes: Bright and Optimist (square); Unity (rectangular), Diversity (round), and Positivity and Joyful (horn). Consumers can add mirrored lenses in rainbow colors to elevate the look.

"Our National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health is the most in-depth research of its kind, spotlighting the experiences of LGBTQ youth with the goal of creating positive change," said Sofi Goode, Senior Corporate Development Associate at The Trevor Project. "We're happy to share EyeBuyDirect's passion in amplifying these results and driving more awareness toward important, informative, and actionable data that will ultimately support the LGBTQ young people we serve."

Shoppers can customize their Eyewear Pride frames by adding blue light blocking protection, tinted lenses, and other prescription options to meet their eye health and style needs. Consumers can get their frames fast by choosing two-day delivery for $29. This collection is part of the Buy 1, Give 1 program, which allows customers to donate a pair of glasses with every purchase to someone in need around the world.

About EyeBuyDirect

EyeBuyDirect is a one-stop online optical shop for contemporary men's, women's, and children's eyeglasses and sunglasses. Established in 2006, the brand champions bold style choices so customers can see the world in a whole new way and change how the world sees them. Offering over 2,000 affordable frames, EyeBuyDirect owns the entire process from concept and design to manufacturing, with fashionable frames starting at just $6. Through their Buy 1, Give 1 program, a pair of eyeglasses is donated to someone in need for every order placed.

Learn more at www.eyebuydirect.com and follow their social channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About The Trevor Project

The Trevor Project is the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people. The Trevor Project offers a suite of 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention programs, including TrevorLifeline, TrevorText, and TrevorChat as well as the world's largest safe space social networking site for LGBTQ youth, TrevorSpace. Trevor also operates an education program with resources for youth-serving adults and organizations, an advocacy department fighting for pro-LGBTQ legislation and against anti-LGBTQ rhetoric/policy positions, and a research team to discover the most effective means to help young LGBTQ people in crisis and end suicide. If you or someone you know is feeling hopeless or suicidal, our trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386 via chat TheTrevorProject.org/Help, or by texting 678678.

SOURCE EyeBuyDirect