Dear John —
In 2021, our friends at Hopelab approached us with a question. What if we could develop a digital tool aimed at helping LGBTQ+ youth navigate the growing mental health crisis weighing on their generation?
We were immediately on board.
From the moment it launched in 2022, imi has been a game changer. Developed with Hopelab along with our friends at CenterLink, this free, accessible, and research-backed web app was created for LGBTQ+ teens, by LGBTQ+ teens and their allies. At the click of a button, LGBTQ+ youth can access resources that are proven to uplift, support, and affirm their identities — and they can do it right from their phones, day or night.
But what good is a tool if you can’t get it into the right hands? That’s why we set a lofty goal: to get imi onto the screens of 100,000 unique users. We are thrilled to announce that we have officially hit that milestone.
What’s even more exciting is that roughly 13% of these young people — over 13,000 users — have completed over 10 minutes of browsing on imi. This means that not only are young people visiting the tool, they’re spending time exploring its features and reaping its benefits. Here’s what one young person had to say:
I remember the moment I came out to myself. It was this confusing, concerning, what-am-I-going-to-do, what-does-this-even-mean moment that, even years later, stands out starkly in my mind. And while I felt isolated by this sensation at the time, I've come to realize that the experience of uncertainty and nervous curiosity around one's identity is incredibly common, especially around LGBTQ+ young people. And that's why I think imi is so important. As a guide created 'for and with LGBTQ+ teens' in mind, it is perfect for those naturally confusing, concerning, question-raising moments because it has the power to not only answer these questions but also to let us know we are not alone in asking them.
-Akiko, Youth Voices
But we don’t want to stop here. We’d love to see 200K, 300K… 1 MILLION young people get introduced to this amazing tool. If you have an LGBTQ+ young person in your life you love and care for, please share this link with them today. It could be exactly the resource they’re looking for!
Justin Tindall
Senior Director, Programs & Operations
It Gets Better
The It Gets Better Project is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth around the globe. All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
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