Featured Stories

For LGBTQ folks, gaining hindsight can be beautiful and clarifying. Growing up gives us time to find who we are, perspective to see what’s important, and the ability to heal from the sometimes difficult journey of childhood and young adulthood. This holiday season, we invited LGBTQ celebrities to use that hindsight to write a letter to their younger self, asking them to give advice and support. We hope their wisdom speaks to you, wherever you are on your journey. Here’s what they said: JANELLE MONAE (they/them/she/her) “If I could go back and talk to my younger self, I would say…

Going home can mean returning to your comfort zone. Going home can mean freedom of expression or safety from the storm. Some people have many homes; the homes they come from, the homes they created on their own. And some people still cannot call anywhere a home, in both the physical and emotional sense.  As someone who grew up in an often unsafe and unaffirming home, the ability to control and feel safe in my space is very important to me. The home I am in now is my favorite so far. It is a cozy place where I cook…

The holidays can be a difficult time. Going home can mean feeling out of place, overwhelmed, or simply not seen. For many LGBTQ young people, these feelings happen year-round. We never want young people to forget that even if they’re not in affirming environments, there are so many people out there who love and support them. We asked supporters of the Trevor Project to submit words of encouragement for young people to hear and return to when they need it. If you’re having a tough day, we hope these words can lift you up.  I know sometimes it may feel…

As we start a new year, we enter a hostile political landscape for LGBTQ young people in states across America. In 2022, 220 anti-LGBTQ bills were considered in a majority of states across the country — a record number. In 2023, this trend is set to continue, as state houses around America are considering legislation that targets LGBTQ young people, ranging from censoring LGBTQ-related curriculums and books, banning transgender student-athletes from participating in sports that match their gender identity, and criminalizing doctors and families who support youth with transgender medical care.   That’s the bad news. However, there is reason for…

Like many, I was pressured into making lists of ways to improve my life this year. I resolved to go to the grocery store instead of ordering food; water my plants daily; read for at least 30 minutes a day. I resolved to drink more water, take more walks, write a book, and see a new country. We are a few days into January and I’ve already had more coffee than water; I ordered sushi at one in the morning instead of cooking; and I’ve spent more hours watching reality TV and anime than cracking open a book. The truth…

This year, one of my resolutions is to be more a candid about mental health, and this includes talking about the difficult subject of suicide and suicidal ideation. Because the more we talk about it, the more we can de-stigmatize it.  First, we need to define it. “Suicide is the act of injuring oneself with the intent to die.” One of the hardest topics to talk about is suicide. Many of us may know people who have attempted or lost their lives to suicide, but talking about it can often feel taboo. We live in a society that sweeps a…