Youth's Lives Every Day
Dear Trevor Community,
Heading back to school can be an exciting time. As a parent, I know well the anticipation of new teachers, the joy of buying school supplies, and the prospect of new and old friends. I also know as an LGBTQ+ person that heading back to school can bring more than excitement — it can bring new and old anxieties.
At this time of year at The Trevor Project, our Crisis Counselors hear from LGBTQ+ young people who have challenging experiences at school. As a parent and LGBTQ+ person, I want nothing more than to support young people in educational settings because I know how difficult it can be.
In the 90s, high school classmates called me “gay” before I even knew what it meant. After being outed, rejected, and bullied, I made the difficult decision to drop out of school, and for years after I had to fight to simply survive including finding a place to sleep.
We’ve made progress since I was an LGBTQ+ young person, but these challenges remain. LGBTQ+ young people report a number of negative experiences that happen to them at school, including verbal harassment, physical attacks, leaving a school because of the severity of mistreatment, and more. That’s why The Trevor Project is here for every young person, day or night.
So as we enjoy going back to school, remember that we at The Trevor Project are always in your back pocket for the difficult moments, and no problem is too small for our trained crisis counselors to be there to listen. Together we can create a brighter future for all LGBTQ+ young people.
Jaymes Black
(they/she/he)
CEO
The Trevor Project
