Former Vice President of the United States Joe Biden has launched a new campaign for LGBTIQ+ youth, focusing on the importance of family and community acceptance.
The "As You Are" campaign is being run by the Biden Foundation and is a continuation of Biden's history supporting members of the LGBTIQ+ community.
In a statement, the foundation said that it hoped to create educational tools which will “serve to inspire, to create communities, to heal families, and to change the broader culture to ensure a bright future for all LGBTQ young people."
It continued: "Today far too many LGBTQ folks continue to face rejection at home and discrimination in their communities. This kind of rejection leads to heartbreaking outcomes.
“Forty percent of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ. Many of them have been kicked out of their homes, or no longer find it safe to stay at home.
“Gay, lesbian and bisexual youth are five times more likely than their straight peers to have attempted suicide. 40 percent of transgender and gender nonconforming adults report having attempted suicide at some point in their lives. Most of them before the age of 25."
The foundation added: “Some parents subject their children to the vile practice of conversion therapy or pressure them to keep their identities secret. It doesn’t have to be this way.”
Taking to social media, Biden added that the campaign would “highlight the harms of family rejection - and lift up research, best practices, and personal stories to powerfully show the significant value of family acceptance.”
He continued: “LGBTQ young people should never have to face rejection from those who love them."
A video released by the campaign includes a number of high-profile representatives from the LGBTIQ+ community delivering moving testimonials.
Speakers include Dr. Caitlin Ryan, Director of the Family Acceptance Project and Judy Shepard, co-founder of the Matthew Shepard foundation.
