Donations have flooded in to instal a pro-LGBTQ+ billboard in Billings, Montana to reach LGBTQ+ people with a message of acceptance.
Emily and Matt Hankins posted a GoFundMe to install a billboard in the Republican state; they have now collected enough donations to match the amount and keep the billboard up for ten months.
“Just to know that there are people out there who support our community and support the LGBTQ+ community is so wonderful,” said Emily.
Artist and activist Rae Senarighi donated artwork for the billboard, which once installed will feature a rainbow flag background and the words ‘You Are Loved’ nestled in a cluster of flowers.
Data in the American Journal of Psychiatry show LGBTQ+ people are at least twice at risk of suicide as their straight counterparts.
One person who donated toward the billboard is Erin Tate, who works with LGBTQ+ youth across the state. Eric said: “I think this billboard project is such an amazing step in reminding people that they do matter, and that we do want people here. We want you alive. We want you present.”
Emily and Matt Hankins say the idea for a billboard was inspired by the owners of the Montana Book Company, who put up a similar billboard in 2021. The owners say they’ve received hundreds of positive comments since, including from LGBTQ+ youth.
In January, an American LGBTQ+ youth charity reported a surge in calls to its crisis hotline following President Trump’s inauguration.
“Our hotline serves as a critical lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth grappling with the challenges of bullying, social stigmatisation, and the looming threat of institutionalised discrimination,” said Kristen Johnston, case manager and crisis team leader at the Rainbow Youth Project.
“The data we’re seeing is alarming, and it underscores the urgent need for advocacy, community support, and immediate action to protect our youth.”
