The
Trevor Project aims to eradicate suicide—specifically suicide committed by
LGBTQ+ youth (https://www.thetrevorproject.org/about/strategic-plan-mission/).
It has four strategies to do this: to provide crisis counselling when suicide
is imminent, to offer preventative resources, to educate others who interact
with LGBTQ+ youth on suicide risk detection, prevention, and response, and to advocate
for laws and policies which will lower suicidal rates among LGBTQ+ youth.
The
Trevor Project, although thank goodness I never needed it, is immensely personal
to me. Up until coming to Binghamton I was immensely closeted—although, as I
recently found out, everyone knew I like girls. So many of my high school
friends are queer as well. I do not think a single one of us had an easy coming
out process—some worse than others. I was so scared and frightened of how
terribly everything would go, but I knew I was not going to get kicked out of
my family or abused because of my sexual orientation. Unfortunately, not
everyone has that certainty. My parents have felt the need to offer our couch
to my friends before they came out because their situation was so unsafe.
And,
in some cases, youth internalize the hate they are receiving from the outside
world and take it to heart. Statistically, LGBTQ+ teens are more likely to commit
suicide than cishet teenagers. That’s why this platform is so important—it provides
the support needed to show that things are not as dire as they seem. So many youth
are incapable of understanding how things improve with time—the lack of a fully
developed prefrontal cortex means foresight is less important than the here and
now. This organization helps to preserve the future the teens cannot see in their
moment of despair.
To
aid in this endeavor, the Trevor Project has 3 different crisis intervention
platforms (https://www.thetrevorproject.org/about/programs-services/).
They have a 24/7 suicide prevention lifeline number, a instant messaging
service open daily with live help from trained volunteers, and a confidential
text service with a trained counselors. They also offer several suicide
prevention trainings and resources—including ally training. They also offer
community resources, such as ambassadors who volunteer in select US cities.
However, I would argue that the most important community resource is
TrevorSpace, a social networking community for LGBTQ adolescents ages 13-24,
and allies. Although many of the conversations are incredibly depressing, it is
extremely important for the community. So many LGBTQ+ youth have never met another
queer person, and it provides a safe platform for them to interact—and show
that being LGBTQ+ is normal and nothing to be ashamed of.
The
Trevor Project is a very well-known, well-established LGBTQ+ organization
helping youth through an incredibly difficult, and often lonely, time in their
lives. The LGBTQ+ community is attacked from a multitude of angles, and often
when searching the community youth find terrible atrocities rather than the
resources to help them. The Trevor Project needs funds to continue running
because it is one of the best known queer organizations nationwide to aid in
the process of discovering one’s identity and in remaining mentally stable
throughout the process. With these funds, they will be able to keep the important
programs they run afloat, saving many lives in the process.
Sabrina Reba
I can see how close you feel to this charity, and you obviously care about the underlying issues this charity hopes to address. I personally grew up in an area where LGBTQ+ kids, including several of my friends, were thankfully able to be open without much consequence. Thus, I never really took the time to consider the struggles that LGBTQ+ kids face outside of my area. I have actually heard of the Trevor Project several times before this class, but it was only in passing online - it was never brought up in my neighborhood. I think where one lives plays a large role in their experience coming out, as some parts of the country are unfortunately less tolerant of this than others. This pitch was really eye-opening to me for the hardships of LGBTQ+ kids that feel like they don't have a safe space - and I mean REAL LGBTQ+ kids, not just portrayals in media, which often don't attack the underlying struggles in the community (see this Huffington Post article: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-medias-role-in-hypersexualization-and-homophobia_b_58855382e4b0111ea60b97d3). In sum, I believe the Trevor Project, while its resources for LGBTQ+ youth are invaluable, is also as an educational tool for people like me who don't fully understand the dangers that face those youth.
ReplyDeleteI think this organization is providing strategic measures for a needed cause, as people in the LGTBQIA+ community continue to be discriminated against, through microaggressions or in ways that put people in danger. Its goals and strategies of how the organization wants to help those in the community are clear and efficient. I don't think its resources are invaluable; in fact, I think they are necessary. Many people face feeling very alone when they are coming out/closeted trying to coming out, and face inner and outer conflicts because of their sexuality or identity. It is important to have a strong support system in order to to maintain your mental health.
ReplyDeleteI also like that it works to change government policy. It shows LGTBQIA+ youth that they should fight for their space in the world and not shrink themselves to fit a biased government official or politician's agenda. It is important to fight for inclusivity for all, and not just providing services that will alleviate stress associated with coming out. Lastly, I like that Joshua said it can be an "educational tool" as it does grows awareness toward the experiences of people in this community and how these experiences impact the quality of their life and mental health.