Tegan and Sara Launch Foundation

Tegan and Sara didn’t have any tour dates this week, but there’s still plenty going on in the duo’s world. The twins released the 10th and final video from their 2016 album and announced they’ve started their own foundation to support LGBTQ girls and women.

John Davisson – Tegan And Sara
Hosting the mtvU Woodie Awards and Festival at SXSW, Austin, Texas.

The indie pop act was inspired to launch the organization, which is simply called the Tegan and Sara Foundation, after touring in support of 2016’s Love You to Death LP and meeting with local fans, youth activists, researchers, legislators and nonprofits.

“The list would be too long if we mentioned everyone who generously spent time with us, but a special thank you to GLAAD, Oregon Governor Kate Brown, the LA LGBT Center, Equality North Carolina, the Audre Lorde Project, the Astraea Foundation, and the Williams Institute,” Tegan and Sara said in an open letter on the foundation’s website.

“We learned a great deal from you all, including much more about the needs of LGBTQ people in North America. We learned that the lack of federal funding for LGBTQ services, limited training for doctors about the needs of their LGBTQ patients, and severe workplace discrimination are disproportionately affecting women. Most importantly, we learned that LGBTQ women and girls are feeling overwhelmingly rejected and left behind.”

The letter goes on to say that LGBTQ women experience disproportionate levels of poverty, health issues and inequality. These struggles are often amplified for LGBTQ women of color and transgender women, thanks to racism and transphobia.

The Tegan and Sara Foundation plans to raise funds and awareness for organizations that have been working for LGBTQ and women’s rights and to “fight against regressive homophobic, transphobic and misogynistic legislation.”

The twins have teamed up with Kiehl’s to create limited edition packaging for the brand’s Ultra Facial cleansers, with proceeds of sales benefiting the band’s foundation. Fans can visit the Kiehl’s website to enter to win tickets to see an exclusive private concert by Tegan and Sara.

We’ll wrap this post with the video for the song “That Girl,” which was directed by Allister Ann and features footage from the duo’s North American tour.

Tegan and Sara return to the stage for a New Year’s Eve show in Madison, Wis. The duo’s 2017 tour plans begin in European in late January.

Visit TeganAndSara.com and TeganAndSaraFoundation.org for more information.