September is suicide awareness month, and The Trevor Project, an organization that provides help to LGBTQ+ youth, just released a collection of clothes for Animal Crossing: New Horizons to help the cause.
The Trevor Project created the designs using the Nookphone, a smartphone that Tom Nook gives players at the beginning of the game.
“The widely popular game is recognized as an escape that can help players foster positive mental health and hone their focus on in-game tasks, all set to a soothing soundtrack – instead of focusing on barrages of anxiety-inducing news,” said a release from The Trevor Project.
The clothes, which sport striped, bright rainbow colors, and the organization’s signature star logo, are available for download starting on September 10. The clothes include overalls, a cap, sweater, hoodie, T-shirt, tank, knit cap, and star t-shirt. To access the designs, players can search the Custom Design Portal inside Able Sisters for the item title or use the creator code MA-7248-1702-1536. Every item is named TRVR, so to find the cap, search “TRVR cap,” for example.
Animal Crossing is one of the most popular games released this year, selling 22.4 million copies since its release on March 20. About 10% of all gamers over 18 identify as LGBTQ and spend more money on gaming than their peers, according to a Nielsen survey about gaming.
Suicide in the LGBTQ+ community is a serious issue, and 40% of young people in the community have considered attempting it in the past year, according to The Trevor Project statistics. A big part of the issue is discrimination and bullying. Approximately one in three LGBTQ+ youth say they’ve been physically threatened or harmed over their lifetime due to their identity, according to a survey by The Trevor Project of more than 40,000 young people in the community.
The Trevor Project provides support and information to help young people better their situations. Warning signs of suicide include changes in attitude or behavior, and people contemplating suicide will often denigrate themselves with comments such as “Things will never get better for me,” or “Life is so hard. Lately I’ve felt like ending it all.”
For those looking for help, The Trevor Lifeline is available 24/7, including holidays, at 1-866-488-7386.
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