We at Toni Marlow have the mantra  - fit for everyBODY - means that style and comfort should no longer be a privilege. We believe in defying gender norms, challenging stereotypes and building a positive, powerful and progressive future.  

Being who you truly are is always going to be met with resistance and challenges. For people who defy gender norms, those challenges are more extreme and often lead to significantly higher rates of depression and suicidal feelings and behaviour. Sadly, everyone at some point is affected by suicide whether it's their own feelings and/or behaviour or those of a loved one. In support of both our gender queer folks with higher risks of these experiences and all people everywhere, we donate $1 from each product sold to raise suicide awareness and prevention. In addition to our ongoing donation of $1/purchase, we are on a mission to raise $1,000,000 for suicide prevention. In early 2016, a close friend of the owner, Jalisa Luces-Mendes, tragically took his life. No one knew he was struggling with the pain and thoughts that he was experiencing that led to his suicide. He was a leader and beacon of light for a very large community in Toronto and aboard. In honour of him, we would like to raise $1,000,000 so that we can help end the stigma around mental health and help reduce the prevalence of this happening.

Be the change, Click Here to Donate and visit www.egale.ca for more information on support and help for the LGBTQ2S+ community.

 

  • Suicide Prevention and EGALE 
  • Social causes, particularly those affecting LGBTQ2S+ young people, have always been important to our founder, Jalisa Luces-Mendes. LGBTQ2S+ youth are inordinately affected by homelessness and mental health challenges.

    These issues have long been a passionate cause for Jalisa and still remains true to this day, however her life changed when a close childhood friend took his life. She began to strategically focus her efforts and charitable donations of Toni Marlow Clothing to suicide prevention.

    Her friend, who will remain anonymous out of respect for his family, was someone she and a wide community of athletes looked up to and admired as a source of strength and inspiration. His suicide was devastating and shocking. He always presented himself as collected, happy, focused and optimistic. He had a solid support network of family and friends who loved him. No one saw this coming.

    Suicide affects everyone at some point in time. Whether it be their own thoughts, feelings or attempts, or those of someone they love; we are all impacted. (general stat). For those people who identify within the LGBTQ2S+ spectrum, these rates are much higher. Tragically, they are even higher for LGBTQ2S+ youth, with (find stats).

    We believe this can be prevented and want to help as many people through their darkest time as possible. For this reason, we donate $1 of every purchase to suicide prevention through OUTreach and suicideprevention.ca (50 cents of each purchase goes to both charities). On LGBTQ2S+ specific products, such as our trans underwear products and LGBTQ2S+ related t-shirts, the full $1 donation goes to OUTreach.

     

      • Suicideprevention.ca/CASP - CASP provides educational material and resources. The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (CASP) provides information and resources to reduce the suicide rate and minimize the harmful consequences of suicidal behaviour. http://suicideprevention.ca/
      • EGALE Youth OUTreach- Founded in 1995, Egale Canada Human Rights Trust is Canada’s only national charity promoting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans (LGBT) human rights through research, education and community engagement. Their vision is a Canada, and ultimately a world, without homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and all other forms of oppression so that every person can achieve their full potential, free from hatred and bias. Youth OUTreach provides individual counselling, homelessness and suicide crisis services for LGBTIQ2S youth up to age 29 provided by three full-time counsellors. Call to schedule an appointment. We operate on scheduled appointment and drop-in basis. Counsellors are available for ongoing support as well as same day counselling during our drop-in hours for crisis support. There is currently no wait list for service. We have LGBTIQ2S Support Workers to help with practical needs ranging from housing, food access, access health care, navigating government services, filling out forms, applying for odsp/ow, employment, transition support, etc.

    http://egale.ca/outreach/