The Trevor Project

The Trevor Project is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1998. Focused on suicide prevention efforts for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, they offer a toll-free telephone number where confidential assistance is provided by trained counselors. The stated goals of the project are to provide crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for youth (defined by the organization as people under 25), as well as to offer guidance and resources to parents and educators in order to foster safe, accepting, and inclusive environments for all youth, at home, schools and colleges. The Trevor Project also operates the internet forum TrevorSpace.

History

The project was founded in 1998 in West Hollywood, California, by Celeste Lecesne, Peggy Rajski, and Randy Stone. They are the creators of the 1994 Academy Award–winning short film '' Trevor'', a dramedy about Trevor, a gay thirteen-year-old boy who, when rejected by friends because of his sexuality, attempts suicide. When the film was scheduled to air on HBO television in 1998, the filmmakers realized that some of the program's young viewers might be facing the same kind of crisis as Trevor and began to search for a support line to be broadcast during the airing. They discovered that no such helpline existed and decided to dedicate themselves to forming the resource: an organization to promote acceptance of LGBTQ youth, and to aid in crisis and suicide prevention among that group.

The Trevor Lifeline was established with seed funds provided by The Colin Higgins Foundation and HBO's license fee. As a result, it became the first nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for LGBTQ youth. The project also provides online support to young people through the project's website, as well as guidance and resources to educators and parents.

In 2004, the organization released an educational kit for both educators and youth service providers which included a copy of the short film, a teaching guide (to be used with the film), cards with the hotline number, and posters.

2005 saw the release of "Dear Trevor", an online question and answer forum which allowed for people to anonymously ask and answer "non-urgent" questions regarding sexual orientation and identity.

While continuing various educational and media campaigns (including a PSA with Daniel Radcliffe) in 2006, a new short documentary was released consisting of interviews with hotline staff telling stories of calls from LGBTQ youth that they had received.

By 2007, the hotline had received over 100,000 calls since its inception, over 3000 education kits had been distributed, and hundreds of questions had been asked through the "Dear Trevor" online forum from around the world. During National Suicide Prevention Week a digital advertisement campaign named "Don't Erase Your Queer Future" was undertaken which included banner ads on social media websites and The Trevor Project website which encouraged reflection by displaying quotes and progressively erasing words to show how many artistic, cultural, and social contributions would be lost if prominent LGBTQ people would have committed suicide. Additionally, a new PSA with various celebrities was released.

In June 2009, seven Tulare County volunteers completed The Trevor Project Lifeguard Workshop Facilitator training. “Lifeguard workshops” have been done in schools in Tulare County municipalities, including Dinuba, Lindsay, Porterville and Visalia, as well as in Hanford in adjacent Kings County. In November 2009, the Trevor Project was contracted by the Tulare County Suicide Prevention Task Force, located in Tulare County, California. With this agreement, the project received public funds for the first time. Additionally, Sensis provided their digital marketing services including a website redesign and social network marketing on both Facebook and the Trevor Projects own social media website "Trevor Space" (which is still currently operating).

In 2021, the first openly gay active NFL player, Carl Nassib, used his coming out to also announce a $100,000 donation to The Trevor Project.

From 2016 to 2022, the CEO of The Trevor Project was Amit Paley. During this period the Trevor Project grew its revenue from $5M to over $60M which included a financial reserve of $50M. In 2019, for the first time in the organization's history, TrevorText went from limited operating hours to a 24/7 text and chat counseling services. In October 2022, The Trevor Project launched free digital services in Mexico.

In November 2022, The Trevor Project's Board of Directors announced that Amit Paley had been removed effective immediately. The organization's Board of Directors announced that co-founder, Peggy Rajski, would be the interim CEO. Following this news, media outlets also reported that over 200 employees had signed a letter expressing their displeasure with former CEO, Amit Paley, and numerous employees had expressed concerns over the organization's growth and his ability to manage effectively.

Research

The Trevor Project also undertakes mental health research focusing on LGBTQ youth. According to the project's strategic plan, "The Trevor Project will expand the scale of its flagship national survey while continuing to grow visibility and general public consumption of its research; and to incorporate new studies, scientific advances, and research protocols to build on its thought leadership and the impact of its programs." As of 2022, research found that 14% of LGBTQ youth reported a past-year suicide attempt, with LGBTQ youth of color and transgender and nonbinary youth reporting higher rates, illustrating the importance of examining findings intersectionally.

Projects

School workshops

The project's Lifeguard Workshop Program uses a structured, age-appropriate curriculum to address topics around sexuality, gender identity, the impacts of language and behavior, and what it means for young people to feel different. The program also teaches young people to recognize depression and suicide amongst their peers, the impacts of language and behavior on LGBTQ youth, and suicide prevention skills in schools.

2023 labor dispute

In April 2023, Trevor Project staffers formed Friends of Trevor United, a union affiliated with CWA. In July, during collective bargaining, management terminated 12% of bargaining unit employees, about one-third of whom were union leaders. Friends of Trevor responded by filing an Unfair Labor Practice complaint, alleging targeted retaliation.

See also

* Athlete Ally
* List of LGBT-related organizations

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Trevor Project, The
Anti-bullying campaigns
Anti-bullying organizations in the United States
Companies based in Los Angeles County, California
Crisis hotlines
LGBTQ charities
LGBTQ health organizations in the United States
LGBTQ youth organizations based in the United States
Organizations established in 1998
Suicide prevention
West Hollywood, California
Suicide in the United States
Articles containing video clips
LGBTQ and suicide
Medical and health organizations based in California
Charities based in California
Shorty Award winners