An online intergenerational befriending program for Two-Spirit, gay, bisexual, trans & queer men and nonbinary people (2S/GBTQ) significantly reduced depression, anxiety, and loneliness in a pilot study — pairing older and younger participants for sustained, one-to-one connection.
“Gaybourhoods” and other physical gathering places have grown less accessible, and the ways 2S/GBTQ people meet and stay connected continue to shift. One casualty of that change is the bond between generations — a historic source of shared identity, mentorship, and belonging that has long carried community knowledge forward.
This pilot set out to rebuild those bonds through technology. It paired older and younger 2S/GBTQ participants for ongoing, one-to-one connection, then measured whether a low-barrier, online befriending model could meaningfully improve mental health.
Outcomes were measured at baseline and at the program’s end using validated clinical scales.
↓ Significant decrease
↓ Significant decrease
↓ Significant decrease
∗ Bar pairs are illustrative of direction only. Statistical estimates were adjusted for baseline levels and grouping. Exact effect sizes are reported in the full study.
Older and younger participants were paired on shared interests, opinions, and identities.
Each pair met for calls or in-person visits of 30–60 minutes every week.
Connection was sustained for at least seven weeks to let a real friendship form.
A scalable, low-barrier model for building belonging across generations — and a blueprint for community-led 2S/LGBTQIA+ mental health care.— the takeaway from the befriending pilot.
