During this season of thanks, we have much to be grateful for at The Trevor Project, not least of which is you: our incredible volunteers, donors, and supporters. We also honor our brave LGBT military veterans this past Veteran’s Day who have served our country with pride.

 

This year, we are thankful for new policies and laws that help make our culture more welcoming and accepting of LGBTQ people. The new National Strategy for Suicide Prevention expands our country’s understanding of suicide prevention by including LGBT-specific recommendations for the first time and emphasizing the value of talking to prevent suicide. States like California are protecting LGBTQ youth by banning the harmful practice of so-called “reparative therapy,” and passing strong school safety measures that include mental health protections. As we grow Trevor’s influence in public policy, we hope to further increase protective factors for LGBTQ youth nationwide.

 

Our gratitude also extends to those who work to protect the most vulnerable members of our LGBT community, transgender youth. We hope you will help raise awareness about the dangers, violence and hate facing transgender people by participating in one of the hundreds of services occurring on November 20^th as part of the Transgender Day of Remembrance. Also, please urge any young LGBTQ person who may be in crisis to call the Trevor Lifeline or access TrevorChat; our counselors are nonjudgmental and accepting of all gender identities and gender expressions.

 

Every day, because of your support and determination to protect vulnerable LGBTQ youth, The Trevor Project can provide robust, life-saving, life-affirming services. Young LGBTQ people who reach out to Trevor know that they have a future and many tomorrows because you help make our work possible. For that, we cannot thank you enough.

Trevor welcomes 30 new volunteers to the Randy Stone Call Centers East and West! Led by Crisis Service Managers Odalis Gonzalez and Brock Dumville, the 40-hour volunteer trainings feature hands-on learning opportunities for volunteers and Trevor Lifeline role-plays, and mark the beginning of each volunteer’s journey to become a Trevor Lifeline counselor.

 

We asked participants for their opinions of the training in an anonymous survey. Here are a few things our new Trevor Lifeline trainees had to say:

 

“The training has energized me in a very unique way. I know that the work we will be doing is difficult but the training has given me a sense of exactly why it is so important.”

 

“I thought the atmosphere created by the Trevor staff and volunteers was unbelievably welcoming. The safe space they helped foster made the stress of training and learning about suicide prevention so much more manageable.”

 

Both classes are continuing their specialized training and will begin taking Trevor Lifeline calls before the year is out. Congratulations to all trainees and special thanks to the current Trevor Lifeline volunteers for their invaluable help and insight!

 

If you are interested in volunteering for one of Trevor’s life-saving and life-affirming programs, visit www.TheTrevorProject.org/Volunteer.

Trevor Live is only a few weeks away! We are so excited to honor Katy Perry with the Trevor Hero Award and Audi of America with the Trevor 2020 Award for their support of The Trevor Project and LGBTQ youth. This promises to be a fantastic show that will feature performances from top talent in a way that only Special Guest Director, Adam Shankman can deliver.

 

On Sunday, December 2^nd, we hope you will join us for an incredible event featuring appearances by Kristen Chenoweth, Darren Criss, Jane Lynch, Kevin McHale, Ricki Lake,Ashley Madekwe, Gabriel Mann, Dermot Mulroney, Zachary Quinto, Kayla Radomski,Andrew Rannells, Jessica Sanchez, Brittany Snow, and many more!

 

Purchase your tickets to Trevor Live on December 2^nd and stay tuned for the live stream of the red carpet, sponsored by Toyota Financial Services! Submit your questions for these amazing celebrity guests at http://www.TheTrevorProject.org/LiveStream.htm for a chance to have them read on the red carpet by our co-hosts, Shira Lazar from What’s Trending and Tyler Oakley!

 

With the results of last week’s election, The Trevor Project celebrates the continued implementation of life-saving laws like the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by the Obama Administration, the positive marriage equality outcomes in four states, and the election of LGBT role models such as Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).

 

The provisions outlined in the ACA such as insurance companies can no longer refuse coverage to people with preexisting conditions, including mental health conditions, and youth may stay under their parents’ insurance until age 26. These two major points can increase a young person’s access to needed care, which can potentially lower the risk of suicide for LGBT youth.

 

In addition, the ACA also funds school-based health centers, making it easier for students to access care. Sex discrimination by health care providers is prohibited under the law, which can eliminate barriers to essential care for transgender and gender nonconforming youth. This law also emphasizes cultural competency training for health care providers, which should help increase both access and the quality of care LGBTQ people receive.

 

We look forward to further progress as we work to increase access to mental health care, expand LGBTQ rights, and ensure school safety throughout the next four years. For more information on The Trevor Project and the ACA, read Executive Director & CEO Abbe Land’s article in the Huffington Post.  

 

City Year Partners with Trevor