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Carnivale Rooftop Viewing Party

Saturday, October 31, 2009
Time: 7:00 – 11:30 p.m.

Rooftop of the LASC Parking Structure in West Hollywood

Get your ticket to West Hollywood’s exclusive
Halloween party and avoid bar lines!

Enjoy the best view to the biggest Halloween party in the world!

Hosted by KIIS FM, 98.7 FM, 104.3MY FM and HOT 92.3.

Special Performances by R&B Hip Hop Artist Ester Dean and Terra Incognita with more to be announced.

Special Guest DJ’s from 104.3MY FM and HOT 92.3.

VIP Cabanas for 12 – $1,500 each (limited quantities)
Each includes private cabana seating for up to 15 guests overlooking Santa Monica Blvd.
Cabanas also include hosted Grey Goose and Moet Champagne bottle service, in addition to full bar waiter service.

Admission Ticket $60 - Includes Hosted Bar

CLICK HERE to get your ticket before they sell out!

Proceeds benefit The Trevor Project.

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OUT and Macy’s
Men’s Fashion Show

Thursday, October 29, 2009
Time: 7:00 p.m.

Macy’s Men Store
at the Beverly Center
8500 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles

CLICK HERE TO RSVP

Featuring a presentation
by fashion expert Nick Verreos

Special prize giveaways
Cocktails & Hors d’oeuvres
Music by Dominic Prietto

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Cracked Xmas 12 Kickoff Party

Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Nobu
903 N. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90069

Join us for hosted Absolut cocktails at NOBU to kick off Cracked Xmas 12!

We will be announcing more honoree news and updating you on our celebrity attendees.

You can also enter our Qantas Airways raffle for two round trip tickets to Sydney, Australia. Just $50 per raffle entry!

To RSVP: Email wing-sum.doud@thetrevorproject.org and include your first and last name, plus the number of guests and their full names you are RSVPing for.

CLICK HERE to purchase a table or ticket to Cracked Xmas 12.

Dear Friends,

The Trevor Project is participating in America’s Giving Challenge through the Facebook Causes Application. We are encouraging all our supporters to consider making a donation on Wednesday, October 28, 2009. If we receive the most unique daily contributions, we could win an additional $1,000!

Here’s how it works: Daily prizes of $1,000 are awarded to the cause that receives the greatest amount of donations ($10 or more) in a single day.

Here’s where you come in:

1. Please donate on Wednesday, October 28 by visiting http://www.causes.com/TheTrevorProject.
2. Tell your friends! Go to The Trevor Project’s Cause page and click on the green “Tell Friends” button. But don’t stop there—make phone calls, put www.causes.com/TheTrevorProject in your away message, and find other creative ways to encourage your friends to donate.

America’s Giving Challenge was created to empower individuals to join together and make a difference for the issues and organizations they care about most. Your donation, when put together with so many other people’s donations, will make a huge difference for The Trevor Project and our vital resources.

Thank you!

The Trevor Project

United States Senate approved the Matthew Shepard Act on October 22, 2009 and President Obama has vowed to sign it! The bill will extend the current definition of federal hate crimes to include attacks based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

Grant Pippert, a football coach from an Aurora Public High School is under investigation after reportedly punishing two players by forcing them to hold hands while running during a team practice. As a response, teammates yelled homophobic and derogatory slurs at the two players. Pippert could face warning, suspension, or firing according to Aurora Public School’s spokesperson.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and The Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) begin to move forward to include protections and services for LGBT people in the United States. Under President Obama’s Administration, the HUD has extended their definition of “family” to explicitly include LGBT people, as well as including protections against discrimination based on “sexual orientation or gender identity” for home owners, renters, and mortgage applicants. The HSS will open the first national Resource Center for LGBT Elders in order to provide LGBT specific resources to approximately 1.5 to 4 million aging Americans.

Students across the United States are participating in the fifth annual Ally Week hosted by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Students will sign pledges in order to help eliminate anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools.

The Trevor Project wants to hear your story! Record a video and upload it to http://memelabs.com/thetrevorproject  before November 15, 2009 and you could win a prize! 

Every day, counselors on The Trevor Helpline talk with young people from across the country struggling with issues surrounding sexual orientation, gender identity, family/peer rejection and feelings of hopelessness. But for every youth in crisis, there are many more who have found acceptance from a friend, teacher or loved one. If you’ve ever been harassed, bullied or singled out for being a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ) young person, what support have you found? How did the people in your life react when you came out to them? While our experiences may differ, we can draw strength by sharing and listening to each other’s stories.    

We invite you to create a short video telling the world about your experiences as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning youth within your family, school, and/or communities.

This can include, but is not limited to coming out stories, a “dear diary” personal reflection, a difficult time in your life and how you overcame it, how you helped a friend who was suicidal, a testimonial for an organization, group or person who supported you (i.e. youth group, gay-straight alliance, teacher, friend, etc.) and/or advocacy work you have done within the LGBTQ community.

Videos can be submitted through November 15, 2009. The grand prize is a digital camcorder and your video premiered at The Trevor Project’s largest annual event on December 6 in Los Angeles. Four runner-ups will receive digital cameras.

Please read all the rules and regulations at http://memelabs.com/thetrevorproject.

Phoenix Schneider, The Trevor Project’s program director, reflects on facilitating the Youth Advisory Council’s first-ever Leadership Training, which took place the weekend of Sept. 19 in our West Hollywood offices.

On the weekend of September 19, I experienced a very special and potent kind of Trevor magic…one that was completely awe-inspiring and out of this world. It was as if I waved a magic wand and said aloud: “YAC in the House!” There they appeared that Saturday morning at The Project’s offices in Los Angeles; 10 extraordinary young leaders from all over the country, for the very first Trevor Youth Advisory Council (YAC) Leadership Training! Six months after the YAC being established, and meeting only via conference calls, the group was more than thrilled to have the opportunity to convene in person.

At first glance that morning I saw 10 faces gleaming with joy just to be participating in the training. By the end of the weekend, I got to know 10 young people with the kindest hearts and an enduring drive to make a difference in the lives of LGBTQ youth in their communities and across the country. Trevor’s young ambassadors came from the East Coast, West Coast and Midwest with diverse backgrounds and represented the entire spectrum of sexuality and gender identity. During introductions we asked each person why they joined the YAC. The overwhelming response we received was that members wanted to help spread the word about The Trevor Project’s programs in an effort to better support and improve the well-being of the many young LGBTQ people all over the country in need of our services.

Most of our YAC members live in communities where being LGBT is not very accepted and so the priority is to implement programming in an effort to make these places more supportive and safe environments for young LGBTQ people to live. After members engaged in a few ice-breakers and team building activities, they had established enough trust to work as a team and create YAC promises to one another. The overwhelming theme of their promises reflected a solid triangle of communication, respect and trust. A series of structured workshops were conducted in the afternoon to address volunteer recruitment, social networking, organizational messaging, public speaking, and advocacy. Members were also trained to be TrevorSpace Administrators and Lifeguard Workshop Facilitators.

Throughout the training, it was evident that there were 10 young experts in the room with a wealth of knowledge and experience to contribute. I was moved by their experiences and aspirations to help LGBTQ people. During the last phase of the training, members participated in a strategic planning session and developed YAC guidelines that would help them to communicate and work most effectively together. They then broke up into smaller project-based groups and brainstormed on ideas for implementing Trevor programs in their communities as well as initiating more youth-driven program activities.

With only an hour left in the training and everyone exhausted from the intense weekend, members devoted whatever drops of energy and enthusiasm they had left into making a YAC video. They wanted to highlight their immense passion for their work on the YAC and share the importance of bringing Trevor programming to the young LGBTQ people in their communities. That weekend, 10 individuals came together from different parts of the country to meet for the first time and left the training feeling more equipped to support LGBTQ youth and educate their communities around the unique issues impacting LGBTQ youth. As one YAC member said so eloquently in a message to the entire group:

“I really feel like now that we’ve all met and really gotten the chance to bond, we are going to be all the stronger for it. Our program will be so much more solidified and strengthened by the relationships we now have with one another…I’m so excited to see what the future will bring for the YAC, and so happy I got the chance to meet all of you and make so many friends. Somehow, after only two days of time spent together, I feel like I know all of you as well as members of my family.”

Without a doubt, this experience was one of the highlights of my career with Trevor. It is truly an honor to work alongside such an incredible group of young people. I couldn’t have created a better team if I had been able to wave a magic wand. I am proud to watch our YAC striving to make this world a safer and better place for LGBTQ youth everywhere.

Phoenix Schneider and the YAC members at the Leadership Training.

We are very happy to tell you that MyGayGo will donate
100% of the profits made from the next 24 hours of
iPhone app sales to The Trevor Project.

For instant download, click here:

Thank you for your support of The Trevor Project.

Job Title: Communications Intern

To apply, please send resume and cover letter to Jacqueline Wing, Communications Manager, at: Jacqueline.Wing@TheTrevorProject.org by October 2, 2009.

Job Location: West Hollywood, CA

Classification: Internship with $500 stipend as compensation. Chosen candidate will receive college credit for the position if desired or necessary. Internship is for fall 2009-2010 (Sept. 28 through Jan. 29 with break for holidays), with the possibility of extending through spring 2010. Ten to 12 hours weekly, with specific days to be determined based on student/office schedule.

Position Summary: The Trevor Project, the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, seeks a bright, motivated and focused communications intern to work part-time in its West Hollywood headquarters office. The Communications Intern supports the communications department through online, creative, written and administrative projects.

Reports to: Communications Manager, with day-to-day supervision from Communications Associate

Responsibilities:

General Communications and PR

• Updates media lists
• Tracks media coverage; updates and maintains media tracking spreadsheet
• Creates media coverage/clip reports following major events
• Writing/editing projects as needed

Marketing and Social Networking

• Collects and posts new content and relevant articles to TrevorBLOG and TrevorSpace
• Becomes trained as a TrevorSpace administrator
• Solicits and coordinates placement of banner ads and/or press releases with online LGBTQ blogs
• Updates The Trevor Project’s official social networking accounts, including Twitter updates, Facebook event page creation and MySpace page redesign
• Assists with the deployment of The Trevor Project’s first LGBTQ youth video contest to launch in fall 2009
• Uploads photos to The Trevor Project flickr account

Graphic Design

• Create and edit basic graphics using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and/or InDesign
• Experience creating flyers for events and/or promotions is a plus

Qualifications

• College student eligible for school credit for internship; communications or journalism major preferred but not required
• Strong written and verbal communications skills
• Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint
• Basic graphic design experience using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and/or InDesign
• Passionate about and/or interested in issues impacting LGBTQ young people and youth suicide prevention

Founded in 1998, The Trevor Project is a non-profit endeavor established to promote acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth, and to aid in crisis and suicide prevention among that group.

By Anthony Fleming

On Sunday, September 7, 2003, at around 9:30 AM, I wake up to the insipid chirping of a Nextel Direct Connect alert rising from a pile of clothing in the corner of my bedroom. After spending the weekend celebrating my birthday with a combination of binge eating and drinking, I am just hoping to sleep in a little longer that morning.

Something is wrong.

I strain to pull myself out of bed and find my phone in a pair of jeans under the pile of clothing. I immediately regret the number of vodka cranberries I enjoyed the previous night. Through the haze of my hangover, I see that it was Ron, a co-worker, alerting me through the phone.

“Hey Ron, you there?” I ask over the walk-talkie.

After a slight pause, I hear a chirp and Ron responds, “Hey Anthony, yeah. Sorry to bug you on a Sunday, but I don’t know what else to do. Trevor left a note at our apartment some time last night saying that he is going to kill himself. He’s not here, his car is gone and we don’t know where he is.”

Oh God.

The haze of my hangover suddenly dissipates in the gravity of the situation. I pause and try to figure out my response. I hear another chirp of the walkie-talkie, “You there, Anthony?”

“Yeah…sorry, Ron. Let’s meet at the office to see what we can do. As I drive there, I’m going to call Glen. Is that okay?” Ron and Trevor both directly reported in to Glen. I thought it best that his manager be aware.

“Can I call him instead?” Ron chirps back.

“Absolutely. Give him a call and I’ll meet you at the office as soon as possible.”

I quickly get dressed and run to my car. As I drive to the office, my thoughts turn to Trevor. I know he is a pretty young guy, though I don’t know his exact age. Aside from the typical daily work interactions, I once bumped into him at a Tori Amos concert at the Hard Rock Hotel. I chatted with him briefly at the concert during the intermission after the opening act. What I remember most from the conversation was when I asked if he was a fan of Tori Amos; he rolled his eyes and said that he really didn’t care for her music, but his boyfriend was a huge fan. That’s when I first learned about Trevor’s personal life: he was gay, had a boyfriend and was willing to make some pretty painful sacrifices for love. I’m the first to admit that if you’re not a fan; a Tori Amos concert can be pretty painful. I remember saying just that to him and he laughed. “I’ll survive,” was his response with a straight face, as we headed back to our respective seats.

Typically, the twelve-mile drive to work would take anywhere from 30-60 minutes on a busy weekday, depending on the flow of traffic and construction on the I-215. Fortunately, the light Sunday morning traffic helps and I make it into the office in about 20 minutes. I immediately spot Ron and Blake at their desks. I approach Ron’s desk and Blake rolls over on his chair. Fortunately, only a few scattered employees are working in the call center since Sunday has such a low call volume.

I quickly find out that Ron, Blake and Trevor all share a three-bedroom apartment. Ron tells me that he reached Glen, their manager, and he was on his way to the office as well. I ask Ron about Trevor’s note and Ron tells me that it basically reads like a will. The note states that he wants his car to be sold and that money should be combined with his savings and given to his younger brother. I ask if Trevor gave any reason why he would want to cause himself harm.

“Well…” Ron says with hesitation, “He said in the note that nobody ever loved him. I know his boyfriend broke up with him a few months ago after cheating on him. His father committed suicide when he was young and his mother has been living on welfare her entire life. He basically raised his brother and did all the housework for his mother.” He pauses and then states with trepidation, “He has been talking about killing himself for a while.”

At that point, Ron’s voice started to crack. He cleared his throat and said, “I really should have done something earlier. Whenever he’d talk about it, we just told him that he didn’t mean it. I mean…we just thought he was depressed about his break-up.”

“There’s nothing you could do.” As I hear the words escape my lips I regret them. At that point, all I could conjure for a response was a bad cliché. There is no handbook for handling these situations. You make it up as you go along. I knew I could offer no real comfort other than hope. I quickly follow up by saying, “But there has to be something we can do now.”

“Well, we were only able to track his last cell phone call to a cell tower near our apartment around 12 AM. There are no phone details records after that. So, Glen called Judy. She can pull some strings with corporate to see if we can ping the phone.”

“Ping?” I ask.

“Yeah, we can actually send a signal to the phone to see if we can locate it, but it will only work if he has the phone and it’s powered on. Those are two big ifs.”

“Sounds like it’s worth a try. Hopefully, we’ll find him quickly” I respond trying to stay positive.

At that point, Glen rushes into the office. I look at him and he looks in the direction of my office. I turn to Ron and Blake, “Thanks guys, I’m going to talk to Glen really quickly in my office.”

I run to my office and Glen’s waiting there. I sit in my desk chair and power up my computer by force of habit. Glen closes the door behind me. “Have there been any updates?”

“No, we’re just waiting for Judy to get to the office. I’m not sure what else we can do right now.”

Glen hesitates for a second and says, “I think I’m going to go look for him. He loves to shoot guns out in the desert on the way to state line – semi-automatics and handguns…”

“Semi-automatics?” I interrupt loudly, “Are those even legal?”

“In Nevada, yeah…you know almost everything is legal here. Anyways, I think I want to drive out towards state line to see if I can find him.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” I ask.

“Yeah, keep an eye on Ron and Blake. I’ll go let them know that I’m going to look for Trevor.”

“Thanks. Give me a call on my cell if there is anything that I can do.” At that point, I log on to my computer and started cleaning out my e-mail inbox to keep myself busy. I knew it wasn’t going to help the situation, but it would at least distract me from my own thoughts. If I can just focus on some work, I won’t have to think about Trevor. Worse yet, I may start to think about my own battle with depression, internalized homophobia and some of the dark thoughts that passed through my mind when I was younger.

How old is he, anyways?

I log onto the payroll system and look at his payroll record. I’m dumbfounded and speechless. I feel my eyes water and lump forming in my throat. He was born in 1983.

Fuck, he’s 20. He can’t even legally drink yet. He’s got his entire life in front of him. Please God, I know I haven’t prayed since I was a child, but please help Trevor.

I sit with my eyes closed; hands folded beneath the desk and start praying through a rosary in my mind.

5 Hail Mary’s and then 1 Our Father. Or was it the other way around? No, I think that was it. Fuck.

Just then, Judy approaches my office, “Hey Anthony. Are you okay?”

I hesitate, “I’m fine.”

Shit…did she notice the hesitation?

“I’m fine.” I say, as if repeating it makes it truer or more sincere. I know that I must maintain my composure and focus on the task at hand. “Were you able to ping Trevor’s phone?”

“Oh…I’ve got a couple of calls in to corporate. Fortunately, I have cell phone numbers for a few folks. Since its Sunday it’s tough to get a hold of anyone. I checked his cell phone records again and still no calls since midnight. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.” She turns around and heads back to her desk.

For the next hour, I try to find things to do to keep my mind occupied. First, I am the bearer of bad news. I call Glen’s department manager, Isabelle, and the director of the call center, John, to make sure they are both aware of the situation. They both express sincere concern and offer their assistance. I tell them that I will update them when I have more information. Then, I finish cleaning out my e-mail inbox for work. I also clean out my personal e-mail inbox. I check in with Judy, Ron and Blake. When there was nothing left to do, I am again left with my thoughts. And so I begin to pray and barter with God while staring blankly at my desk. I make promises of returning to church and taking on volunteer work or community service. I think promises of doing good may somehow convince God not to allow something so terrible to happen.

My cell phone rings. I look down and see that Glen calling.

“Hey Glen…any luck?”

Glen hesitates and then says, “I found him…”

“Oh, thank God. Is he okay?” I ask with candid idealism.

“No.” Glen hesitates again. I realize that he found Trevor’s body. I can feel my heart sink into my stomach so low that I think I may become physically ill. My eyes begin to mist and the lump returns to my throat. “No…he’s dead. The police are already on the scene. I’m going to be here for a while. Can you talk to Ron and Blake?”

“Of course. Don’t worry about that. I’ve got it taken care of.” At that point all I can think about is Glen finding the body of one of his employees. Not just one of his employees, but a twenty-year-old kid with so much potential. I know that I must do whatever I can to help Glen. “I also gave Isabelle and John a heads up. Would you like me to call them as well?”

“No. You know…I can call them as I wait for the police to finish with the scene.” His voice continues to crack and shake as he talks. “I just think someone should really talk to Ron and Blake in person.”

“Absolutely. I’ve got it. Give a call if I can help with anything.” As I hang up the phone, I realize that I will probably be doing the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. I know that I must be concise and kind.

Just rip off the band-aid.

I look out at Ron’s desk and do not see either of them. I alert Ron on his phone and within moments, Ron and Blake are sitting across from my desk, staring at me wide-eyed. I can see the hope in their eyes. I look at them and fumble through the words in my mind. I have trouble maintaining eye contact.

“Glen called.” I can hear my own voice shaking. I clear my throat. “Glen called. He found Trevor.”

“Is he okay?” Ron asks, reflecting my own hope from only moments ago.

I clear my throat again and can only let a very quiet, low “No.” escape my lips. I begin to find the strength to say, “I’m sorry…if there is anything that I can do…” but it was too late. They knew nothing more could be done for Trevor. They got up to leave my office before their emotions overtake them. I watch tears roll down Ron’s cheek as he leaves my office. I follow them out of my office, but instead I walk briskly to the restroom. I splash cool water on my face and look in the mirror.

Keep it together.

I return to my office and moments later, Judy passes by, “What happened?”

I clear my throat again trying to speak clearly. “I’m sorry, Judy. I should have come to see you sooner. Unfortunately, Glen found Trevor’s body. It’s too late.”

“Oh my God…” she gasped.

“I know. If I can ask a big favor of you. Please try to keep this as confidential as possible. We will likely not be able to tell the team until they return to the office tomorrow. We would probably want to tell them first before other employees find out.”

“Absolutely. I’m sure some people will find out, but that’s the least I can do.” She pauses for a moment and looks me in the eye. “Are you okay?”

I look at her with a moment’s hesitation. I wish I could divulge my inner most thoughts. I would love to hug her, let the tears roll down my cheeks and feel my shoulders rattle in a full sob. I want to tell her about how the image of his face has already started haunting me as I picture him saying the words, “I’ll survive.” However, I cannot topple the walls that took so long to build. I work in Human Resources. My emotions must remain completely separated from my work. All I can do is take consolation in the fact that someone was so kind to express their concern for me during this time of tragedy.

I simply respond by saying, “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” she asks with skepticism, tilting her head and continuing to look me directly in the eye. I don’t know if she saw the lack of sincerity or just instinctively knew that this situation would be tough for anyone to handle.

“I’m fine.” I say again, continuing to lack any genuine sincerity. “Thank you, though, for asking. It’s very sweet of you.” I say with all the sincerity in the world. I knew the weeks ahead would be tough and many people would never fully recover from this tragedy. I also knew that all we could do is take small comfort where ever we can find it. I found it in the genuine concern and kindness of a co-worker I hardly knew before that day.

If I worked with you and you’re able to piece it together despite the pseudonyms, I ask that you help me to maintain the confidentiality of those involved. I struggled with posting this entry, the potential issues of confidentiality and the benefit of helping people to understand the importance of the work of The Trevor Project and my upcoming fundraiser. I am not just hoping to raise money for this wonderful non-profit organization; I hope to also raise awareness of suicide prevention in the LGBT community.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CLICK HERE.

Officially established this February, the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) serves as a liaison between The Trevor Project and youth nationwide. The following is an inside look into the life of Andrew Striker – a 21-year-old member of the YAC. This interview is featured inThe Trevor Project’s fall newsletter.

Andrew Striker

Trevor: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Andrew: I am 21 years old and originally from Youngstown, Ohio. I lived in Fort Myers, Florida for about 10 years before moving to Daytona. I moved here in Fall 2006 to go to school. I am going into my senior year at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. I am majoring in Homeland Security with a concentration in Emergency Management and a minor in Air Traffic Management.

I volunteer for a lot of different groups including Equality Florida, the Trevor Project, and the Red Cross. I am currently a Red Cross Health and Safety Instructor and teach often teach their CPR/AED and First Aid classes. I do local activist work with Equality Florida whenever my schedule permits.

I am the founder and former president of the Gay-Straight Alliance at Embry-Riddle. I founded it two years ago, and the club is still alive and doing well.

I like to be as active and the gay community as I can but sometimes its hard to fit things into my school schedule. For this reason I recently launched an LGBT website. It contains an entire resource library of topics relating to the LGBT community as well as a news section and links to helpful resources. Though mostly complete, I am still working on it. This gives me a way to contribute without me having to leave my apartment.

I plan to graduate in 2010 with a degree and Homeland Security: Emergency Management and pursue a position with the Dept of Homeland Security, FEMA, or the State Department, possibly as an Emergency Manager or Security Chief.

As of Thursday (the 13^th), I am a certified Emergency Medical Technician and am currently pursuing a part time position in Emergency Medical Services.

Trevor: What sparked your interest in The Trevor Project and its Youth Advisory Council?

Andrew: Last year I made a YouTube video for the YouTube Project 4 Awesome (A charity event that encourages everyone one YouTube to make a video about their favorite charity and encourage people to donate). Then, I was contacted by Ryan Lombardini at The Trevor Project who told be about the YAC. It sounded like something I would enjoy doing, and I was excited about the possibility of working with the Trevor Project, so I applied. I’m so glad I did because it’s been a lot of fun working with everyone.

Trevor: What are some of the goals the YAC has set to accomplish on behalf of The Trevor Project?

Andrew: The YAC has two significant roles. The first is to have someone within the Trevor family that can reach out to communities all across the US, and spread the Trevor resources to as many as possible. We are located all over the country from Daytona Beach to New York, and all the way to Portland, Oregon. We are trained to present the Trevor workshop to local audiences, and we get guidance from those above us on how to best deliver the material to the youth in our area.

The second, and more important role is to be the advisors of the Trevor Project’s target audience. Since we focus on reaching youth, it only makes sense that there would be a group of advisors to relay to Trevor what the needs of youth are from our point of view and in our particular regions. This helps Trevor to better shape its efforts into strategies that will have the greatest impact on the youth we focus on.

Trevor: Why do you think the programs and services at The Trevor Project are important?

Andrew: Anyone who has ever known someone that has committed suicide can easily explain to you the importance of the work Trevor does. If all the work I ever do for Trevor helps to keep just one person from committing suicide, then not a single minute of my time will have gone to waste. Specifically LGBTQ youth often go through so much during their coming out process, and during their everyday lives in today’s society, that just having that one other person to talk to is a godsend. In my opinion, to be there to help young people through their struggles is something we can never put to much emphasis on. I think this is one thought that many of us who work for Trevor have in common.

Trevor: What do you think some of the greatest issues currently impacting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth are?

Andrew: Right now the biggest problem that youth are facing, as well as the rest of the LGBT community, is ignorance. Young people only know what they are taught, and there are so many rumors and misconceptions about the LGBT community that it’s going to be a long and difficult process before the hate and bullying end. Most of those opposing things like gay adoption or same-sex marriage base their arguments on hate or misguided religious beliefs, and then pass these beliefs along to their children who know no better. This is the primary reason that many who come out are bullied or outcasted, and those who are gay or questioning may never be honest with themselves. These hateful and ignorant beliefs held by so many need to put to an end.  I can think if no greater issue impacting LGBTQ youth.

Trevor: What do you think are some things any young person can do to support or advocate for their LGBTQ peers in their own communities?

Andrew: The answer to this question can really depend on who and where you are. Of course, I would encourage everyone to be as active as possible in the gay community, but for some, being out in the area they live in or with the families they have can be difficult or even dangerous. For those who are unable to be openly gay, or an openly gay supporter, the best way you can contribute is the fight the bullying and derogatory comments commonly seen in today’s schools. Slowly yet surely the LGBT community is making progress in fighting the discriminatory thinking and bigotry that forced us into closets in the past, but we will never achieve full equality without the contributions of everyone, no matter how small.

I Am Trevor

Thursday, September 10, 2009
Time: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Warm up this fall to Sweater Weather. Join us for a young business professionals quarterly social series benefiting The Trevor Project.

Cozy up to LASC as they will be offering an enormous amount of sweaters by Original Penguin. Save 20% off every sweater and help save lives as 10% of your sale goes to The Trevor Project!

Only at LASC
8529 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069

Come Celebrate The Trevor Project Day in New York!
(officially declared by Governor Paterson)

Thursday, September 10, 2009
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

DTox
31 2nd Ave (between 1st and 2nd Streets)
V or F train to 2nd Ave Stop

2-4-1 drinks, top-shelf
No RSVP necessary

Facebook Event

Summer Women’s Event

Saturday, September 12, 2009
Time: 7 – 9 p.m.

Vince
Women’s Boutique
8471 Melrose Place
Los Angeles, CA 90069

Our host committee invites you to enjoy an early afternoon of hosted hors d’ouevres and prosecco while hearing about the life saving work of The Trevor Project.
We will also be recognizing the culmination of National Suicide Prevention Week.

Admission: $20
RSVP Here

Lifeline Event Series: Miami

Sunday, September 20, 2009
Time: 7 – 10 p.m.

Halo Lounge
1625 Michigan Ave
Miami Beach, FL

Learn about  The Trevor Project and meet executive director and CEO, Charles Robbins

$15 Suggested Minimum Donation
(Includes First Hosted Cocktail)
RSVP Here