Our new brand identity reinforces our commitment to the spirit of collaboration in developing long-term solutions to prevent and end youth homelessness.
Over the past 10 years, we’ve learned that youth homelessness is a community issue. Young people have the most success when everybody comes together to support them. You’ve taught us how true that really is. We couldn’t anticipate the worldwide groundswell of love and support we’ve received from people like you. That’s why I’m proud to announce our organization’s rebrand to True Colors United.
True Colors United is all about celebrating the different strengths that different people bring to the table, and applying those strengths toward one united goal. Today, we’re unveiling a new name, logo, and visual identity that better speaks to our mission and represents who we are – a community of unique individuals united under one cause: preventing and ending youth homelessness. As part of this effort, we have also revised our mission statement:
True Colors United implements innovative solutions to youth homelessness that focus on the unique experiences of LGBTQ young people.
As we move into our second decade, True Colors United will be expanding our work to help ensure they we’re preventing and ending homelessness for all disproportionately affected youth, not just those who identify as LGBTQ. We will continue to partner with young people with lived experience of homelessness to ensure they’re in positions of power to drive change through their ideas, skills and talents so their peers in the future won’t have to experience homelessness.
What does the future hold for True Colors United?
In the United States, 4.2 million youth experience homelessness each year, with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth 120% more likely to experience homelessness than their non-LGBTQ peers. Furthermore, up to 40% of all youth experiencing homelessness are LGBTQ, while only 10% of the general youth population is LGBTQ. Black/African American youth have an 83% higher risk of homelessness, while Hispanic youth have a 33% higher risk. True Colors United has set bold new goals for the future to bring these numbers down.
By 2024, we aim to:
- Establish and implement LGBTQ inclusion standards for organizations and communities working to address youth homelessness.
- Activate policymakers to center the experiences of LGBTQ youth and youth of color to create equitable policies and practices.
- Establish youth collaboration as an industry standard for youth homelessness work.
- Expand the work of True Colors United internationally, beginning in Europe and Canada.
As we stand at the crossroads of our first and second decades, we can’t help but look back and be proud of what we’ve accomplished through our collaboration with service providers, policymakers, communities and, most importantly, youth to make sure policies and practices are inclusive, affirming and supportive of LGBTQ young people – but there’s still a great deal of work to be done. We are going to continue to shake things up by reexamining and reimagining services and systems so they better meet the needs of LGBTQ youth and all highly impacted young people.
“I’m so proud of everything we’ve accomplished together over the past 10 years, but we’ve got to keep going. As a mother – and as someone who experienced homelessness in my youth – I can’t stand by as millions of young people go through the same thing in a country with as much promise and prosperity as ours,” said Cyndi Lauper, Co-founder and Board Member of True Colors United. “We have to solve this issue by working together – especially with youth and young adults who have experienced homelessness. It’s our responsibility – not only as an organization, but as society – to stand with these young people so they can live in a world where they are celebrated for being their authentic and true selves.”
Let’s unite to end youth homelessness.
We can’t do this work without you. Let’s unite to end youth homelessness. If we can ensure that services are safe for and affirming of the most impacted young people, we can be confident that they’ll be safe and affirming for everyone.
I’m also happy to announce that this year’s #TrueColorsDay will take place on April 24. On #TrueColorsDay, millions across the world unite to spread awareness about LGBTQ youth homelessness and take simple actions to make a difference. Take the #TrueColorsDay pledge today and we’ll send you information and action steps as the day draws nearer.
Thank you again for supporting us over the years. The tools to end youth homelessness are within our reach. United, we can do it.