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Interview with Current Trevor Volunteer Lisa Sugarman

Lisa Sugarman (she/her) is an author & columnist, survivor of suicide, NAMI storyteller, grief group facilitator, mental health advocate, and Crisis Counselor with The Trevor Project based in Massachussets.  Where are you from and how long have you been a volunteer crisis counselor at The Trevor Project?  I’m from Marblehead, Massachusetts, a little harbor town just north of Boston and I’ve been a Lifeline counselor at The Trevor Project for nearly two years now.  Where are you when you volunteer? What time do you volunteer?  I volunteer from my home office in Salem, MA and I typically do the 9AM-12PM shift…
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The Importance of Safe Language On Social Media

As a suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, The Trevor Project regularly sees unsafe language that many use on social media without consideration for others’ mental health. Whether targeting our organization, the LGBTQ+ young people we serve, or the judges, government officials, advocates, and supporters who work with us, there is an urgent need for social media platforms and their users to take action to protect the safety of our community. The Trevor Project is strongly aware of the negative impact that language can have on mental health; unsafe language and harassment is often directed at the LGBTQ+ youth…
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Valentine’s Day and the Power of Affirmation

Many of us may think of the obligatory V-Day dinners with a romantic partner and exchanging candy at work and school, but we don’t often think about affirming love during the holiday. During the first week of February, The Trevor Project invited ten incredible LGBTQ+ young people on set in Pasadena to capture their stories for our 2024 Pride campaign. Members of the content team had the opportunity to film with, talk with, and laugh with these trailblazing young people hailing from Albany to Jacksonville, Milwaukee to Nashville, Philadelphia to San Diego. Directing the interviews for our social room, I…
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Andrew Mortensen, Biking Across the World for Trevor

Starting in 2020, Andrew Mortensen felt the gloom of COVID-19. Initially searching for a way to spend more time outdoors, he took the small step of biking between two national parks in the Pacific Northwest. Little did he know that his journey would eventually span 37 countries and over 27,000 miles, making him the first openly gay man to cycle around the globe, from North America to the tip of South America, from Spain to Singapore. Along the way, Andrew fundraised over $19,000 for The Trevor Project and wore an orange Trevor t-Shirt to spread the message of hope that…
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How The Trevor Project is Advocating for LGBTQ+ Young People During the 2024 Legislative Season

An interview with Janson Wu (he/him), Sr. Director, State Advocacy & Government Written by Ryan Bernsten (he/him), Senior Managing Editor RYAN: Let’s start really high-level. Why is the 2024 legislative season so important? JANSON: We've already seen close to 300 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced already in 2024. Last year we saw a record-breaking 600+ anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced, and 82 of those passed into law. This year, we're seeing our opponents double down on the breadth and cruelty of their attacks. Where we saw gender-affirming care bans targeting youth last year, we're now seeing restrictions for adult care. Where we once saw…
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How to Go Home for the Holidays

Despite having two parents who loved me, a home, food, and clothes, I had pediatric depression. Christmas — the holiday that my family celebrates — became a primary challenge in my elementary school years. For whatever reason, whether it was the compulsory joy or the forced extended time spent with family, I found it nearly impossible to be happy on December 25. This was met with confusion and eventually anger from my mom, whose favorite holiday is Christmas. If she noticed my moping, I was to smile immediately. “Smile, wear the red velvet dress and white tights. I don’t care…
Photo of LGBTQ+ young people featured in episode 2 of Sharing Space with Nova Bright from The Trevor Project.
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Learn from LGBTQ+ Young People with Episode 2 of “Sharing Space”

Following the first episode of our educational series “Sharing Space” moderated by longtime Trevor supporter Daniel Radcliffe, we’re proud to launch our second episode featuring one of Trevor’s own: Nova Bright-Williams, our Head of Internal Training, Learning, and Development, speaking to LGBTQ+ young people about how we can best show up for them. This second episode of “Sharing Space'' features transgender, intersex, queer, and nonbinary young people who join Bright to talk about their experiences with gender euphoria, stigma, and acceptance. These candid conversations have the power to teach allies and LGBTQ+ people alike about the power of affirmation.  “I…
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The Power of Affirmation: Stories from Trevor Staff

The Power of Affirmation: Stories from Trevor Staff Affirmation is life-giving. It is an incredibly powerful feeling to be understood, accepted, and celebrated for who you are, especially when understanding and affirmation are hard to come by. So many LGBTQ+ young people struggle to find that affirmation, whether at school, in their own homes, or with themselves. And holidays approaching reminds many LGBTQ+ young people of places they cannot be themselves. We deeply wish for every LGBTQ+ young person to have at least one person they can rely on for support (which is why we’re here 24/7) because we know…
Photo of Daniel Quasar
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A Conversation With Daniel Quasar on Pride Flags, LGBTQ+ History, and Mental Health

Written by Sue Cardenas-Soto (they/them), Copywriter Daniel Quasar (they/ze) calls themselves an “accidental designer,” but they’re definitely one who has made an impact on LGBTQ+ history. Quasar designed the Progress Pride flag in 2018, an updated design that incorporated Monica Helm’s Trans Pride flag, the traditional Gilbert Baker Pride flag, and elements of Philadelphia and Seattle’s Pride flags. The trans flag stripes and black and brown stripes were shifted to the hoist and given a chevron shape, pointing to the right to symbolize forward movement. SUE: Can you tell me about the process of designing the flag? QUASAR: I was…
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Online Safety for LGBTQ+ Young People

The Trevor Project and our partner Gen have collaborated on a timely new Guide to Online Safety for LGBTQ+ Young People, allowing our young people and parents to explore positive ways for social media and the internet to build community and mitigate the risks of bullying, scams, and other dangers. Check out our Guide and consider sharing it with the young people in your life.