Sadly, many have a hard time accepting what they cannot see or relate to: gender identity, in particular, is regularly misunderstood by those who have not spent a day in a transgender person’s shoes.

A lack of acceptance is what drove Gender Creative Kids to make the world a more accepting place for trans youth.

The organization created Sam, a toy designed to help youth understand what it’s like to grow up transgender. The “You Inside Project” by Lg2 acted as an educational program in schools, with a short film promoting the toy. The facial expressions in both the film and Sam convey different emotions at each stage, allowing children to understand what he is feeling at each step, and why.
The campaign (which won three Public Service awards, including Gold Acting on Insights, Gold Design and Silver Original Idea) earned $104,500 to fund the production of 500 toys, and Sam has ignited millions of conversations about what it means to grow up transgender.