The Trevor Project
Encyclopedia
The Trevor Project is an American non-profit organization
founded in 1998 and the leading national organization focused on suicide prevention
efforts among lesbian
, gay
, bisexual, transgender
and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Through a toll-free telephone number, it operates The Trevor Lifeline, a confidential service that offers trained counselors. The project also provides guidance and vital resources to parents and educators in order to foster safe, accepting and inclusive environments for all youth, at home and at school. It has been supported by celebrities including
Chris Colfer
, Neil Patrick Harris
, James Marsden
and Daniel Radcliffe
.
, California
, by James Lecesne, Peggy Rajski, and Randy Stone
. They are the creators of the 1994 Academy Award-winning short film Trevor
, a dramedy about Trevor, a gay thirteen-year-old boy who, when rejected by friends because of his sexuality, makes an attempt to take his life
. When the film was scheduled to air on HBO television in 1998, the filmmakers realized that some of the program's young viewers might be facing the same kind of crisis as Trevor, and began to search for a support line to be broadcast during the airing. They discovered that no such helpline existed, and decided to dedicate themselves to forming what was, in their view, a much-needed resource: an organization to promote acceptance of LGBTQ youth, and to aid in crisis and suicide prevention among that group.
Thus The Trevor Lifeline was established with seed funds provided by The Colin Higgins Foundation and HBO's license fee. As a result, it became the first nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for LGBTQ youth.The project also provides online support to young people through the project's website, as well as guidance and resources to educators and parents.
In November 2009, the project was contracted by the Tulare County Suicide Prevention Task Force, located in Tulare County
, California. With this agreement it the first time the project had received public funds. In June 2009, seven Tulare County volunteers completed The Trevor Project Lifeguard Workshop Facilitator training. Lifeguard workshops have been done in schools in Tulare County municipalities including Dinuba
, Lindsay
, Porterville
and Visalia
, as well as Hanford
, located in adjacent Kings County
.
On August 10, 2009, the project announced that it received a major cash donation to support the lifeline, from actor Daniel Radcliffe
, a star in the Harry Potter
film series
. Radcliffe said in a statement:
, an American software entrepreneur and philanthropist
.
, California, and New York City
, New York
, offices. Interns are placed among the program, communication and development departments and provides an opportunity for young people to learn about working in the non-profit sector. Palette Fund internships are specifically designed to introduce young leaders to the LGBTQ movement.
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
founded in 1998 and the leading national organization focused on suicide prevention
Suicide prevention
Suicide prevention is an umbrella term for the collective efforts of local citizen organizations, mental health practitioners and related professionals to reduce the incidence of suicide....
efforts among lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, bisexual, transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Through a toll-free telephone number, it operates The Trevor Lifeline, a confidential service that offers trained counselors. The project also provides guidance and vital resources to parents and educators in order to foster safe, accepting and inclusive environments for all youth, at home and at school. It has been supported by celebrities including
Chris Colfer
Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
, Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician.Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., Colonel Carl Jenkins in Starship Troopers, the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold...
, James Marsden
James Marsden
James Paul Marsden is an American actor, singer and former Versace model. He is known for playing the superhero Cyclops in the first three X-Men films and for his roles in other commercially successful films such as Hop, Superman Returns, Hairspray, Enchanted, The Box, and 27 Dresses.-Early life...
and Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe is an English actor who rose to prominence playing the titular character in the Harry Potter film series....
.
History
The project was founded in 1998 in West HollywoodWest Hollywood, California
West Hollywood, a city of Los Angeles County, California, was incorporated on November 29, 1984, with a population of 34,399 at the 2010 census. 41% of the city's population is made up of gay men according to a 2002 demographic analysis by Sara Kocher Consulting for the City of West Hollywood...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, by James Lecesne, Peggy Rajski, and Randy Stone
Randy Stone
Randy Stone was an American actor and casting director, and Academy Award winner.-Career:Randy Stone began his acting career in 1976 as a child actor on Charlie's Angels. However, most of his acting roles were as an adult. He appeared in two episodes of Space: Above and Beyond, and did two movies...
. They are the creators of the 1994 Academy Award-winning short film Trevor
Trevor (film)
Trevor is a 1994 American short comedy film directed by Peggy Rajski about a gay 13-year-old boy who, when rejected by friends because of his sexuality, makes an attempt to take his life....
, a dramedy about Trevor, a gay thirteen-year-old boy who, when rejected by friends because of his sexuality, makes an attempt to take his life
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. When the film was scheduled to air on HBO television in 1998, the filmmakers realized that some of the program's young viewers might be facing the same kind of crisis as Trevor, and began to search for a support line to be broadcast during the airing. They discovered that no such helpline existed, and decided to dedicate themselves to forming what was, in their view, a much-needed resource: an organization to promote acceptance of LGBTQ youth, and to aid in crisis and suicide prevention among that group.
Thus The Trevor Lifeline was established with seed funds provided by The Colin Higgins Foundation and HBO's license fee. As a result, it became the first nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for LGBTQ youth.The project also provides online support to young people through the project's website, as well as guidance and resources to educators and parents.
In November 2009, the project was contracted by the Tulare County Suicide Prevention Task Force, located in Tulare County
Tulare County, California
Tulare County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Fresno. Sequoia National Park is located in the county, as are part of Kings Canyon National Park, in its northeast corner , and part of Mount Whitney, on its eastern border...
, California. With this agreement it the first time the project had received public funds. In June 2009, seven Tulare County volunteers completed The Trevor Project Lifeguard Workshop Facilitator training. Lifeguard workshops have been done in schools in Tulare County municipalities including Dinuba
Dinuba, California
Dinuba is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 21,453 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Visalia Metropolitan Statistical Area according to the United States Census Bureau...
, Lindsay
Lindsay, California
Lindsay is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 11,768 at the 2010 census. Lindsay is located southeast of Visalia and is considered part of the Visalia Metropolitan Area by the United States Census Bureau.-History:...
, Porterville
Porterville, California
Porterville is a city in the San Joaquin Valley, in Tulare County, California, United States. Porterville's population was 54,165 at the 2010 census. The city's population grew dramatically as the city annexed many properties and unincorporated areas in and around Porterville. Not included in the...
and Visalia
Visalia, California
Visalia is a Central California city situated in the heart of California’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley, approximately southeast of San Francisco and north of Los Angeles...
, as well as Hanford
Hanford, California
Hanford is an important commercial and cultural center in the south central San Joaquin Valley and is the county seat of Kings County, California. It is the principal city of the Hanford-Corcoran, California Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Kings County, including the cities...
, located in adjacent Kings County
Kings County, California
Kings County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is located in a rich agricultural region. Kings County is also home to NAS Lemoore, which is the U.S. Navy's newest and largest master jet air station. The county seat is Hanford...
.
The Trevor Lifeline
The Trevor Lifeline is the only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for LGBTQ youth. The lifeline is a free and confidential service that offers hope and someone to talk to, 24/7. The lifeline's trained counselors listen and understand without judgment. The lifeline's counselors and website can also point one to supportive organizations and groups in your area.On August 10, 2009, the project announced that it received a major cash donation to support the lifeline, from actor Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe is an English actor who rose to prominence playing the titular character in the Harry Potter film series....
, a star in the Harry Potter
Harry Potter (film series)
The Harry Potter film series is a British-American film series based on the Harry Potter novels by the British author J. K. Rowling...
film series
Film series
A film series is a collection of related films in succession. Their relationship is not fixed, but generally share a common diegetic world. Sometimes the work is conceived as a multiple-film work, for example the Three Colours series, but in most cases the success of the original film inspires...
. Radcliffe said in a statement:
Dear Trevor
"Dear Trevor" is an online non-time-sensitive question-and-answer resource for young people with questions surrounding sexual orientation and gender identity.TrevorChat
TrevorChat is a free, confidential, live and secure online messaging service provided by The Trevor Project. TrevorChat is only intended to assist those who are not at risk for suicide.TrevorSpace
TrevorSpace is an online, social networking community for LGBTQ youth, ages 13 through 24, and their friends and allies. Youth can create personal profiles and connect with other young people throughout the country, as well as find resources within their communities. TrevorSpace is carefully monitored by administrators designated by the project to ensure all content is age appropriate, youth-friendly and factual. One way is by monitoring all new typed content posted by members and inspecting any new content sent in by users. This is one of the most protective sites for LGBTQ children ever made. This ensures the site provides the safest space possible for its young members. TrevorSpace also links members to project's home page, where information about The Trevor Lifeline, "Dear Trevor", and other important, lifesaving resources is available. The TrevorSpace interface is a youth-only model of Connexion.org, an LGBTQ networking site. The software used to create TrevorSpace was donated to the project by Tim GillTim Gill
Tim Gill is an American computer software entrepreneur and LGBT rights activist.- Background :Gill was born in Hobart, Indiana...
, an American software entrepreneur and philanthropist
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
.
Palette Fund Internship Program
Through the Palette Fund Internship Program, the project provides for five internships in both its Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California, and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, offices. Interns are placed among the program, communication and development departments and provides an opportunity for young people to learn about working in the non-profit sector. Palette Fund internships are specifically designed to introduce young leaders to the LGBTQ movement.
Youth Advisory Council
The Youth Advisory Council serves as a liaison between youth nationwide and the project, as it relates to young people and the issues surrounding suicide, sexuality and gender identity. The council submits recommendations to the project in an effort to increase Trevor visibility and best serve the LGBTQ youth population.School workshops
The project's Lifeguard Workshop Program uses a structured, age-appropriate curriculum to address topics around sexuality, gender identity, the impacts of language and behavior, and what it means for young people to feel different. The program also teaches young people to recognize depression and suicide amongst their peers, the impacts of language and behavior on LGBTQ youth, and suicide prevention skills in schools.See also
- List of LGBT-related organizations
- Suicide among LGBT youthSuicide among LGBT youthResearchers have found that suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth is comparatively higher than among the general population...
External links
- thetrevorproject.org, the project's official website, link to details of the 1994 documentary filmDocumentary filmDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
that inspired the project