Dylan Mulvaney honoured with suicide prevention advocacy award; ‘A source of light and hope’

Trans influencer and unapologetic icon Dylan Mulvaney is being honoured for her work in making the LGBTQ+ community safer and we’re living for it.

LGBTQ+ human rights group The Trevor Project announced on Friday (29 September) that the TikTok extraordinaire would receive its 2023 Suicide Prevention Advocate of the Year award for her work in building LGBTQ+ positivity.

Mulvaney, who is best known for her ‘Days of Girlhood’ vlogs, joins past award recipients including Lil Nas X and Janelle Monáe in receiving the award.

In a statement, the trans actress, content creator, and activist said she was “deeply honoured” to accept the award.

“Trevor’s life-saving work holds a special place in my heart because it represents a lifeline for so many who are struggling with their identity,” they said.

“To anyone feeling lost or scared, I want you to know that you are so incredibly loved and there is light after the moment of darkness.”

The 26-year-old’s vocal advocacy for positivity within LGBTQ+ spaces is a core part of her videos, which she shares with her 10.5 million TikTok followers.

She was described by The Trevor Project’s senior vice president of communications, Kevin Wong, as a “source of light and hope” in increasingly dark times.

“Through her ongoing advocacy work and unapologetic celebration of their trans identity, Dylan is an exemplary possibility model for LGBTQ+ young people to envision a world for themselves where they can be happy, successful, and thrive openly and authentically.

“By letting us into her personal journey and showcasing all of the wonderful parts of the trans experience, Dylan is inspiring a new generation of LGBTQ+ young people to love themselves fully.”

Dylan Mulvaney says bringing LGBTQ+ positivity is ‘the greatest gift’

In a clip uploaded to her TikTok page, Mulvaney took the chance to highlight that some queer young people “don’t have that support right now” and that knowing they come to them for positivity is “the greatest gift.”

“If you are someone who feels alone or doesn’t have the support at home, I want you to know that this life is worth living and that I’m your cheerleader.

“Keep going, because you and your uniqueness are a gift to this world,” they said.

The Trevor Project highlighted that, according to its 2023 US National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People, 41 per cent of under-18s seriously considered suicide in the past year, including half of transgender and non-binary young people.

Additionally, polling found that 86 per cent of transgender and non-binary young people blame legislative attacks on LGBTQ+ people as having a negative impact on their mental health.