Group of LGBTQ young people standing together and looking into the camera
Mental Health

How LGBTQ youth can cope with anxiety and stress during COVID-19

At The Trevor Project, we know that LGBTQ youth are faced with additional pressures in the face COVID-19. In addition to social distancing, isolation and potential quarantine, you may be either in close quarters with family members with whom you have had conflict based on your identity, or find yourself separated from family members/loved ones who have been a support to you in the past. In addition, you might be feeling resentment or anger towards people in your life who haven’t stepped up in the face of a national health crisis. In LGBTQ communities, “chosen family” often play a more…
Two LGBTQ young people embracing and smiling
Gender Identity

Trevor Releases a Guide to Being a Trans and Nonbinary Ally to Mark Transgender Day of Visibility

Transgender Day of Visibilty (TDOV) is a time to celebrate the transgender members of our community and the positive impact that they bring. Being out as trans can be a very liberating choice for many people. It means that they are able to live as their true and authentic self, which is what we hear every day from the youth who contact our crisis services. We recognize that TDOV creates a critical platform for raising up transgender and nonbinary experiences and voices, and we’re proud to contribute our Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth to the discourse for…
Community

Supporting Black LGBTQ Youth Mental Health

By: Tia Dole, Ph.D., Chief Clinical Operations Officer, The Trevor Project Over the last several days, The Trevor Project has been supporting Black LGBTQ youth in crisis expressing a wide range of emotions over the senseless and unjust violence against Black Americans. No matter where you’re located, it’s possible that these current events are impacting your mental health in ways you might not realize. Black LGBTQ young people hold multiple marginalized identities. Under the minority stress model, experiences of discrimination, rejection, threats, and violence are compounded, and can lead to negative mental health outcomes. In addition, we know from our research that…
Two young people holding hands and posing against a blue backdrop
Advocacy

Roeland Park Becomes the First City in Kansas to Protect LGBTQ Youth From the Dangers of Conversion Therapy

Monday the Roeland Park City Council unanimously (7-0) passed a municipal ordinance to protect LGBTQ youth from the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy — making Roeland Park the first municipality in Kansas to pass such protections. The Trevor Project is proud to have worked with Equality Kansas to support this ordinance. Thomas Witt, the executive director of Equality Kansas said, “Equality Kansas has made tremendous progress fighting for non-discrimination and other LGBTQ protections across Kansas, and after introducing state-wide legislation to protect our youth from conversion therapy – this year – we could not be more excited to…