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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…
Trevor Talks Episode two logo How to talk safely about suicide.
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TrevorTalks Unpacks Talking About Suicide Safely

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 lot of tough conversations under the rug. In 2017, a person died by suicide every 11 minutes. It’s the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10-14, and the third leading cause for young people ages 15-24. Suicide is currently considered a public health crisis in the United States. But even though it’s such a common cause…
Love, Loss and Britney Spears with Chris Stedman
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Writer Chris Stedman On Love, Loss, and Britney Spears

Content Warning: This story explores loss by suicide. For support, our trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat www.TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help, or by texting START to 678-678. Chris Stedman, writer, professor, and host of the podcast “Unread,” is intimately familiar with the culture of shame and silence surrounding the subject of suicide. After losing his friend Alex to suicide in 2019, Chris began to wrestle deeply with all sorts of questions: how to support people he loves; what factors contributed to his friend’s death; and why so many LGBTQ people struggle with mental health. His podcast “Unread” is a…