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Lena Waithe’s Next Act: Truth, Trailblazing, and “trinity”

By: Jaymes Black, CEO, The Trevor Project Emmy Award-winning writer, producer, and actor Lena Waithe has long been a force in Hollywood – reshaping television and film with stories that center Black characters in all of their depth, complexity, and power. From critically acclaimed series to culture-defining moments on screen, Lena’s work has consistently expanded what audiences see, while challenging the industry to widen its lens. In 2017, she made history as the first Black woman to win the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series – a milestone that cemented her place as a trailblazer and storyteller committed…
A person laying on the ground with a phone in their hands lit up by the screen
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Suicide Prevention Isn’t Just About Answering Calls — It’s About Creating Safe Online Community

The first time I called a suicide hotline, I was laying on the floor of my childhood bedroom. Covered in rug burn and surrounded by empty food containers, I had nowhere else to turn. But this wasn’t an isolated moment of pain. By the time I called the hotline, the harm had been compounding for months.  Suicide prevention begins upstream — before the call comes in; before the darkness feels all-encompassing. It begins where many people spend their daily lives: online. The truth is, we cannot crisis-line our way out of an internet that is often actively harming the users…
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“What They’re Doing Is Not Therapy”: Conversion Therapy Survivors Speak Out

Jump to VideoWhen Andrew came out to his parents at fourteen, neither of them responded with acceptance. Instead, they arranged for Andrew to see a therapist who promised to “fix” his sexual orientation.  “If me being straight was how I got their love and acceptance, I was like okay, I guess I’ll go,” he remembers. What Andrew didn’t realize at the time was that he was about to be subjected to a dangerous practice called conversion therapy.  There, Andrew was told that “there was something wrong with me for having these thoughts,” and instructed to suppress them. “I call it…
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The Trevor Project Receives Historic $45 Million Gift from MacKenzie Scott

A message from Jaymes Black (they/she/he pronouns), CEO of The Trevor Project The Trevor Project is honored to announce that philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has made a transformational $45 million gift, an investment to support the organization’s long-term sustainability and impact for LGBTQ+ young people. This extraordinary contribution — the single largest one-time donation in our 27-year history — comes at a pivotal moment for our organization and the LGBTQ+ young people we serve. Major gifts of this magnitude are backed by rigorous vetting and thoughtful approaches to philanthropy.  A $45 million investment in The Trevor Project reflects deep confidence in…
Conversion Therapy

What is International Day to End Conversion Therapy?

Each year on January 7th, people across the globe observe International Day to End Conversion Therapy (IDECT), sharing a worldwide call to end the dangerous, discredited practice known as ‘conversion therapy.’ What is conversion therapy? Conversion therapy refers to practices that seek to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Despite the name, these practices are in no way legitimate “therapy,” and they lack any standards or basis in evidence. These practices are rooted in outdated ideas that LGBTQ+ people are “unnatural” or need to be “cured.”  Historically, these practices have involved behavior modification and painful aversive treatments, as well…