Ariana Grande has pledged to match $1.5 million (£1.1 million) in donations to support and protect transgender youth.

In an Instagram post on Trans Day of Visibility (31 March), the 28-year-old musician said she would match contributions made to 18 organisations that provide direct help for trans people in the US – amounting to a total fundraising goal of $3 million (£2.2 million).

The ‘Thank U Next’ singer captioned her post: “Right now there are hundreds of disgraceful bills pending in state legislature that target trans youth and aim to curb their rights. This will provide critical funds to organizations advocating for the rights of trans youth.”

Grande’s fundraiser, made in collaboration with giving platform Pledge, will direct money towards organisations like Black Trans Advocacy Coalition, Equality Florida, Transgender Education Network Of Texas and many more.

In her post, she added: “The impact of fighting these anti-trans bills and policies is felt all year by trans people, their families and loved ones.”

As of Friday, over $422,000 (£320,000) has been donated to the fund which will split contributions across the 18 charities included.

In the US, multiple states have began introducing bills directly impacting trans American youth, withNBC reporting that 238 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have passed this year so far.

Such bills include banning transgender youth from competing on school sports teams that align with their gender identity in Texas and prohibiting discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools in Florida.

Hate crimes and discrimination against transgender and non-binary people have also risen in recent months, with 2021 being reported as the deadliest year on record for such communities after at least 50 trans and non-binary people were killed, according to the Human Rights Campaign – the highest number of recorded deaths by the organisation since 2013.