The Trevor Project

Trigger warning: this article talks about suicide. 

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S and the 2nd leading cause of death for teens. In 2019, 12 million people thought about suicide and 3.5 million people attempted. 18.8% of teens consider attempting to commit suicide a year.  More than 700,000 people die of suicide a year and even more attempted last year. Although there are a lot of teens out there who are depressed and struggling, LGBTQ+ teens are four times more likely to kill themselves. 2 in 5 LGBTQ+ teens have considered attempting to kill themselves. Out of 40,000 LGBTQ teens, 55% of them were depressed. However, there is help out there for these teens who are suffering, for example, the Trevor Project.

The Trevor Project is an American non-profit organization created and founded in 1998. The Trevor Project mainly focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth. They have a free telephone number anyone can call at any time of the day. Their lifeline is a confidential service that has trained counselors to talk to. The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people.

The Trevor Project’s main focus is on LGBTQ teens and they’re trying to build a safer and more inclusive world for LGBTQ youth. Their goal is to not only help LGBTQ teens from committing or attempting suicide but to also make school more welcoming to LGBTQ students. LGBTQ students are more likely to be bullied and outcasted in school, which can make it hard for them to want to live. LGBTQ teens are at higher risk because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized in society. The Trevor Project wants to change that. The Trevor Project has saved many LGBTQ youth’s lives and made them feel like they have a purpose to live. The Trevor Project to this day is saving LGBTQ youth and giving them hope of a better life.

The Trevor Project is here to help LGBTQ teens who no longer feel like they deserve to live. Every 45 seconds, an LGBTQ teen tries to kill themselves, and The Trevor Project wants to change that. Their goal is to make this world more welcoming and a safe environment for LGBTQ people, not just teens, though their main focus is on teens. They want teens to know there’s hope out there and that everyone’s life is worth living. If you or a loved one is experiencing thoughts of suicide, know there is help out there. You or a loved one can call National Suicide Prevention Lifeline if you need to. Other organizations out there that help with suicide are the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide. No one is ever alone when having suicidal thoughts, there is help. If you or a loved one is thinking of committing suicide, remember it’s okay to ask for help and reach out for help. It will get better and there is hope.