The Trevor Project on Crisis Contact Spike During Re-Introduction of Bathroom Bills in Texas on KXAN
Amit Paley, The Trevor Project CEO and Executive Director, speaks to NBC News regarding the dramatic spike in crisis contacts from LGBTQ youth amidst the re-introduction of anti-transgender so-called "Bathroom Bills" during a special Texas legislative session in August 2017.
These bills eventually failed to move forward due to the amazing work of equality advocates. The Trevor Project press release is below:
The Trevor Project Celebrates Defeat of Anti-Transgender Bills in Texas
The Trevor Project, the worldâs largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth, applauded the defeat on Tuesday night of dangerous anti-transgender bathroom bills in Texas.
Of the approximately 178 contacts per day (on average) received by The Trevor Project, 7.3 percent typically self-identify as transgender. However, in the week after the special session of Texas legislature introduced the anti-trans âbathroom bills,â contacts from transgender young people doubled to 14.7 percent.
âAll of us at The Trevor Project know how dangerous these bills are because we heard it directly from trans youth in Texas,â said Trevor Project CEO and Executive Director Amit Paley. âAfter the introduction of this disgraceful legislation, our counselors saw a huge spike in contacts from LGBTQ youth to our crisis services. The number of transgender youth reaching out to us actually doubled. The stories we heard were heart-breaking.â
Paley continued, âWe congratulate all those who worked so hard to ensure that transgender people are afforded basic human dignity and respect. This is an important victory for equality, but we cannot be complacent. These bills may be re-introduced in future legislative sessions. We remind elected officials that fair-minded Texans do not want to see these bills brought forward.
âThis documented and dramatic spike in crisis contacts makes clear that our elected officials cannot ignore the impact of their anti-transgender agenda on LGBTQ youth. Elected officials must stop throwing young people into crisis for political gain.â
The Trevor Project is available 24/7/365 for LGBTQ young people who need someone to talk with. Call the Trevor Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386. Text and chat counseling is available from 3-10pm EST every day at www.thetrevorproject.org/help.
The Trevor Project is the leading and only accredited national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people under the age of 25. The Trevor Project offers a suite of crisis intervention and suicide prevention programs, including TrevorLifeline, TrevorText, and TrevorChat as well as a peer-to-peer social network support for LGBTQ young people under the age of 25, TrevorSpace. Trevor also offers an education program with resources for youth-serving adults and organizations, a legislative advocacy department fighting for pro-LGBTQ legislation and against anti-LGBTQ rhetoric/policy positions, and conducts research to discover the most effective means to help young LGBTQ people in crisis and end suicide. If you or someone you know is feeling hopeless or suicidal, our Trevor Lifeline crisis counselors are available 24/7/365 at 866.488.7386. www.TheTrevorProject.org
These bills eventually failed to move forward due to the amazing work of equality advocates. The Trevor Project press release is below:
The Trevor Project Celebrates Defeat of Anti-Transgender Bills in Texas
The Trevor Project, the worldâs largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth, applauded the defeat on Tuesday night of dangerous anti-transgender bathroom bills in Texas.
Of the approximately 178 contacts per day (on average) received by The Trevor Project, 7.3 percent typically self-identify as transgender. However, in the week after the special session of Texas legislature introduced the anti-trans âbathroom bills,â contacts from transgender young people doubled to 14.7 percent.
âAll of us at The Trevor Project know how dangerous these bills are because we heard it directly from trans youth in Texas,â said Trevor Project CEO and Executive Director Amit Paley. âAfter the introduction of this disgraceful legislation, our counselors saw a huge spike in contacts from LGBTQ youth to our crisis services. The number of transgender youth reaching out to us actually doubled. The stories we heard were heart-breaking.â
Paley continued, âWe congratulate all those who worked so hard to ensure that transgender people are afforded basic human dignity and respect. This is an important victory for equality, but we cannot be complacent. These bills may be re-introduced in future legislative sessions. We remind elected officials that fair-minded Texans do not want to see these bills brought forward.
âThis documented and dramatic spike in crisis contacts makes clear that our elected officials cannot ignore the impact of their anti-transgender agenda on LGBTQ youth. Elected officials must stop throwing young people into crisis for political gain.â
The Trevor Project is available 24/7/365 for LGBTQ young people who need someone to talk with. Call the Trevor Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386. Text and chat counseling is available from 3-10pm EST every day at www.thetrevorproject.org/help.
The Trevor Project is the leading and only accredited national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people under the age of 25. The Trevor Project offers a suite of crisis intervention and suicide prevention programs, including TrevorLifeline, TrevorText, and TrevorChat as well as a peer-to-peer social network support for LGBTQ young people under the age of 25, TrevorSpace. Trevor also offers an education program with resources for youth-serving adults and organizations, a legislative advocacy department fighting for pro-LGBTQ legislation and against anti-LGBTQ rhetoric/policy positions, and conducts research to discover the most effective means to help young LGBTQ people in crisis and end suicide. If you or someone you know is feeling hopeless or suicidal, our Trevor Lifeline crisis counselors are available 24/7/365 at 866.488.7386. www.TheTrevorProject.org
