Just came back from an excellent luncheon seminar from The Trevor Project

[stevenleser]

Great organization from what I can tell. I participated in an "It gets better" video for use with their projects. If you are not familiar with them, please see below. I am going to see if I can participate in going to schools and giving talks and seminars there.

www.thetrevorproject.org

Mission
The Trevor Project is determined to end suicide among LGBTQ youth by providing life-saving and life-affirming resources including our nationwide, 24/7 crisis intervention lifeline, digital community and advocacy/educational programs that create a safe, supportive and positive environment for everyone.


Vision
A future where the possibilities, opportunities and dreams are the same for all youth, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.


Organizational Values
Acceptance
Inclusiveness is one of our mantras. We are rooted in the belief that everyone should be treated like a human being regardless of their sexual identity, gender, or race. We as an organization will not turn any one away who asks for help. We will show them compassion. And, in recruiting staff and volunteers we will reflect the diversity of our community.

Commitment
We promise to deliver the best 24 hour 7 day a week telephone counseling for youth in crisis. We promise to create a safe space, through our lifeline and online, for LGBTQ youth. We promise to deliver our message of suicide prevention in schools throughout the country. We promise to hire a highly qualified and professional staff and providing them with incentives. We promise to operate our board, our committees, our lifeline, our offices and our events with the utmost integrity.

Innovation
We have been and will continue to be pioneers in reaching out to youth in crisis; whether it's in schools, on the lifeline or online. We will be stewards in nonprofit fundraising (events, Circle of Hope, direct mail campaigns). We will be innovative in our recruiting and retention of staff, volunteers, and board members.



History of The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project was founded by writer James Lecesne, director/producer Peggy Rajski and producer Randy Stone, creators of the 1994 Academy Award®-winning short film, Trevor, a comedy/drama about a gay 13-year-old boy who, when rejected by friends because of his sexuality, makes an attempt to take his life.

When Trevor was scheduled to air on HBO® 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 an appropriate support line to broadcast during the airing. They discovered that no such lifeline existed, and decided to dedicate themselves to forming what was, in their view, a much-needed resource: an organization to promote acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth, and to aid in crisis and suicide prevention among that group. Thus, The Trevor Project was born, and with seed funding provided by The Colin Higgins Foundation, The Trevor Lifeline was established and became the first and only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention lifeline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth.

Today, in addition to operating the crisis and suicide prevention lifeline, The Trevor Project provides online support to young people through the organization’s Web site, as well as lifesaving guidance and vital resources for educators and parents.

[blm]

1. Great organization. My old pal, Trey Speegle, is an active supporter.

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[pennylane100]

2. It sounds like a great organization.

I am not gay, however, I always think how difficult it must be for a kid growing up and trying to find some one to talk to when he or she deals with their sexual identity. Not to mention the bullying from other kids and the hate directed to them by religious bigots.

A little boy I knew growing up, who was related to a former son-in-law, won a lot of money from his school district in a suit brought
by the ACLU, for ignoring all the torment he and a few others endured at school because the school ignored all their complaints.