ACTIVE
ACTIVE PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY IDENTIFY AS GAY AS ALSO POSTED ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF REPRESENTATION
AND VISIBILITY AND PLEDGED TO
DONATE ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND
DOLLARS TO THE TREVOR PROJECT,
WHICH IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT
IS DEEPLY INVOLVED IN OUR NEXT
TOPIC NOW ALONG WITH
CELEBRATING GAY PRIDE TODAY WE
ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ONE
OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES FACING
THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY SUICIDE IS
A SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH
AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE BUT YOUTH
ARE FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY TO
ATTEMPT SUICIDE COMPARED TO
THEIR STRAIGHT OR CIS GENDER
PEERS.
THAT IS A SCARY STATISTIC BUT
IT ISN'T GOING UNNOTICED TO
FIND OUT WHAT'S BEING DONE TO
COMBAT THIS PROBLEM.
I TALKED TO CHRIS BRIGHT FROM
THE TREVOR PROJECT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD LOOK AT
THAT AND SAY, YOU KNOW, IS
THERE SOMETHING ABOUT LGBTQ
YOUTH THAT MAKE THEM MORE
LIKELY TO BE SUICIDAL?
AND THE ANSWER IS NO.
WHEN WE SEE A POPULATION THAT
IS MORE LIKELY TO BE SUICIDAL,
WE LOOK AT WHAT IS WHAT IN
SOCIETY IS CAUSING THAT AND
WITH LGBTQ YOUTH WE CAN POINT
TO ANY NUMBER OF THINGS
HAPPENING AT THE SOCIETAL LEVEL
THAT ARE DESIGNED TO
MARGINALIZE LGBTQ YOUTH TO MAKE
THEM FEEL ASHAMED OF WHO THEY
ARE, TO MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE
THEY DON'T BELONG AND THAT'S A
HUGE CONCERN BECAUSE ESPECIALLY
RIGHT NOW IT'S JUNE IS PRIDE
MONTH.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL
SAY WHY DO YOU NEED A MONTH
ABOUT PRIDE?
AND I THINK THE REASON YOU NEED
A MONTH ABOUT PRIDE IS BECAUSE
OUR COMMUNITY OFTENTIMES IN
SOCIETY IS TAUGHT TO BE ASHAMED
OF WHO THEY ARE AND THAT'S WHY
THIS TERM PRIDE EVEN EXISTS IS
BECAUSE YOUNG FOLKS ARE TAUGHT
THIS OR ARE TREATED IN A
CERTAIN WAY THAT'S DIFFERENT
FROM THEIR PEERS AND THAT CAN
CAUSE INCREASED SUICIDAL
IDEATION SPIKES IN THINGS LIKE
DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND VARIOUS
OTHER MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS
THAT SORT OF POP UP IN OUR
COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF THE WAY WE
ARE TREATED.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE
REASONS.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE TREVOR
PROJECT, WHAT IT DOES.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HELP?
YEAH.
SO THE TREVOR PROJECT IS THE
WORLD'S LARGEST SUICIDE
PREVENTION AND CRISIS
INTERVENTION ORGANIZATION FOR
LGBT YOUTH.
SO WE HAVE TWENTY FOUR HOUR
SEVEN DAY A WEEK THREE HUNDRED
AND SIXTY FIVE DAY A YEAR
CRISIS INTERVENTION SERVICES
WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE CAN REACH
OUT OVER THE PHONE VIA TEXT OR
LOG ON TO OUR WEBSITE AND CLICK
THE GET HELP TAB TO CONNECT
WITH A COUNSELOR WHO HAS BEEN
TRAINED IN SUPPORTING THE
SPECIFIC NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY
.
AND SO IF YOU'RE EVER IN CRISIS
YOU CAN REACH OUT AND SPEAK TO
A COUNSELOR.
WE HAVE PORTIONS OF THE
ORGANIZATION THAT FOCUS ON
RESEARCH RIGHT.
MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE AWARE
OF THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF OUR
COMMUNITY AND THE BEST WAYS TO
SUPPORT THEM.
WE HAVE AN ADVOCACY TEAM THAT
FOCUSES ON POLICIES, LAWS AND
WAYS THAT WE CAN IMPACT AT THE
SORT OF FEDERAL, STATE AND EVEN
LOCAL CITY LEVEL IN MAKING SURE
THAT LGBTQ YOUTH ARE PROTECTED
AND SUPPORTED AND UPHELD.
WE HAVE MY PERSONAL FAVORITE
WHICH IS EDUCATION.
WE FOCUS ON EDUCATING THE
PUBLIC AND MAKING SURE THAT
FOLKS WHO YOU HAVE EVERYTHING
THEY NEED TO SET THOSE YOUTH UP
FOR SUCCESS AND SUPPORTIVE AND
AFFIRMING ENVIRONMENT.
I JUST WANT TO KNOW ARE THERE
ARE INTERSECTIONAL ISSUES WHEN
IT COMES TO THIS WORK LIKE WHEN
IT COMES TO RACE OR GENDER
IDENTITY?
ONE THING YOU CAN NEVER FORGET
YOU MUST REMEMBER MUST WITH A
CAPITAL M REMEMBER IS THAT WE
ARE NOT MONOLITHIC BEINGS.
WE DO NOT MAKE UP JUST ONE SORT
OF UNIFYING ASPECT OF OUR
IDENTITY AND THEN FORGET
EVERYTHING ELSE.
IN FACT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT
WE ARE MAKE UP THE ULTIMATE
PERSON WE BECOME RIGHT.
SO IF YOU ARE A PERSON OF COLOR
,IF YOU ARE TRANSGENDER, IF
YOU ARE LESBIAN OR SOMEONE
WHO'S EXPERIENCING UNSTABLE
HOUSING OR SOMEONE WHO IS
NAVIGATING A CERTAIN SORT
OF MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE WITH
CRISIS, THE TRUTH IS THOSE ARE
ALL GOING TO IMPACT YOU
DIFFERENTLY AND TO ASK SOMEONE
TO SORT OF PEEL AWAY PORTIONS
OF THEIR IDENTITY TO JUST FOCUS
ON ONE IS REALLY, REALLY HARD
AND SORT OF UNFAIR BECAUSE YOU
KNOW, I DON'T JUST CARE ABOUT
ONE ASPECT OF MY IDENTITY OR
ONE COMMUNITY CONNECTED TO MY
IDENTITY.
I CARE ABOUT ALL THOSE
COMMUNITIES.
AND SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT THIS
TOPIC OF INTERSECTIONALITY, I
THINK WE CANNOT FORGET ABOUT
OTHER MARGINAL COMMUNITIES
BECAUSE WHEN YOU ALLOW THE
WORLD TO ISOLATE OR HURT OR
HARM OTHER MARGINALIZED
IDENTITIES, WHAT YOU'RE DOING
IS TELLING THE WORLD IT'S OK TO
DO THAT AND IT'S OK TO
MARGINALIZE EVEN MY IDENTITY
AND WE WOULDN'T WANT THAT AT
ALL.
AND SO YOU HAVE TO UPHOLD ALL
IDENTITIES ALWAYS.
I HAVE TO SAY I AM SO GRATEFUL
TO TALK TO YOU TODAY BEFORE I
LET YOU GO, CAN YOU PLEASE TELL
US HOW ANYONE CAN HELP YOU
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TREVOR
PROJECT?
THE EASIEST WAY TO TO FIND US
IS ACTUALLY A SHORTER VERSION
OF OUR WEBSITE TR VARG ANOTHER
WAY IS SORT OF MAKING SURE THAT
YOU ARE SEEKING ACTIVELY
EDUCATION FOR YOURSELF.
SO IF YOU'RE SAYING YOU KNOW I
DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT PRONOUNS
OR I DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT
GENDER IDENTITY OR I DON'T KNOW
A LOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SEXUAL
ORIENTATION SAYING WELL I
REALIZE I DON'T KNOW A LOT
ABOUT THAT.
SO WHAT SORTS OF EDUCATION
OPPORTUNITIES CAN I SEEK OUT TO
BECOME MORE AWARE BECAUSE YOU
NEVER WANT TO WAIT UNTIL
SOMEONE'S ALREADY IN CRISIS OR
TILL SOMEONE'S ALREADY
EXPERIENCING THAT LACK
OF SUPPORT.
ONE STAT THAT I THINK I WANT
ALL OF YOUR VIEWERS TO KNOW IS
THAT IF YOU ARE A SUPPORTIVE
ADULT TO AN LGBTQ PERSON THAT
PERSON IS NOW 40 PERCENT LESS
LIKELY TO ATTEMPT SUICIDE
BECAUSE YOU HAVE AFFIRMED THEIR
IDENTITY AND THEY CAN SEE THAT
THE WORLD SOMEONE IN THE WORLD
VALUES AND RESPECTS WHO THEY
ARE AND THAT IS SUCH A POWERFUL
THING BECAUSE YOU CAN'T ALWAYS
CONTROL WHAT OTHER PEOPLE DO
BUT YOU CAN CONTROL WHAT YOU
DO.
AND IF YOU SAY I ALWAYS GOING
TO BE AFFIRMING I AM ALWAYS
GOING TO BE RESPECTFUL AND TO
UPHOLD FOLKS WHO HAVE THESE
IDENTITIES YOU ARE MAKING A
WORLD OF DIFFERENCE.
WELL, THE TREVOR PROJECT RUNS A
TOLL FREE 24 HOUR CRISIS LINE
FOR LGBTQ YOUTH.
THE NUMBER IS LISTED ON