Unfinished Lives

Remembering LGBT Hate Crime Victims

Daniel Radcliffe Honored by Trevor Project for Saving Gay Teens’ Lives

New York City, New York – Harry Potter star, Daniel Radcliffe, was honored with the Trevor Project’s Hero Award for his work to prevent LGBTQ teen suicide.  Dapper young Radcliffe, 21, received the prestigious award at Trevor Live: An Evening benefiting the Trevor Project on Monday, June 27 at Capitale in NYC. In characteristically modest fashion, Radcliffe recognized the phone staffers who answer the 24-hour-a-day Trevor Hotline.  He said to Just Jared: “The fact that I’m able to help with something like this makes me very, very proud. It’s a huge honor, and it’s lovely of them to give it to me. I’ll say it again later, but the real heroes are the people who are staffing those call centers and picking up the phones saving lives every single day.”  Using his celebrity to draw attention to the worldwide crisis of LGBTQ teen suicide and school bullying, Radcliffe has established himself as a leader among younger film, stage, artistic and sports stars who are speaking out in support of youth who experience oppression, rejection, and hatred because of their sexual orientation, gender variant expression, and gender identity. Since 2009, Radcliffe has made public service announcements for the life-saving charity, and has spoken out often in support of LGBTQ equality.  Speaking to MTV, he identified his work with the organization “one of the most important, if not the most important, thing that I’m associated with.” The Trevor Project Hero Award recognizes persons who give hope to LGBTQ youth.  Radcliffe joins other famous recipients of the award, such as Vanessa Williams, Darryl Lance Black (Oscar-winning director and screen writer for the feature length motion picture Milk), and Nathan Lane. Available 24/7, the Trevor Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-4-U-Trevor; 1-800-488-7386) is staffed by knowledgeable, compassionate specialists who help struggling queer and questioning young people to seek other options for themselves than giving up on their lives.

June 29, 2011 Posted by | Bullying in schools, Daniel Radcliffe, gay teens, gender identity/expression, Gender Variant Youth, GLBTQ, Heterosexism and homophobia, LGBT teen suicide prevention, LGBTQ, LGBTQ suicide, New York, Social Justice Advocacy, suicide, transphobia, Trevor Project | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Daniel Radcliffe Honored by Trevor Project for Saving Gay Teens’ Lives

Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter Star, Speaks Out For Gay Suicide Prevention

Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images North America

Daniel Radcliffe, star of Harry Potter and Equus, says LGBTQ teens should “be proud of who you are.”  Radcliffe has made a PSA for the Trevor Project because of his passionate support of their work in suicide prevention for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender teens, according to the Associated Press.  The Trevor Project is the premier organization offering 24/7 phone contact and counseling for queer youth who are struggling with whether they will take their lives. While performing Equus on Broadway in New York City, Radcliffe who is not gay, became aware of the alienation, depression, and homophobia facing so many LGBTQ youth.  The friendships he developed with the New York gay community were integral to his decision to support the Trevor Project financially, and then to commit himself to the filming of the PSA.  “I hate that problems like this exist in the world, but the Trevor Project will help,” Radcliffe said.  The fact that he is a major stage and screen star puts Radcliffe in a position to use his influence and fame to further efforts to stem the alarming rate of gay teen suicide, and he is not shy about using his celebrity to help.  Declaring that he believes homophobia and any form of discrimination to be “abhorrent,” Radcliffe urged others to join him in letting LGBTQ youth know that they are not alone.  “I have always hated anybody who is not tolerant of gay men or lesbians or bisexuals,” he added. “Now I am in the very fortunate position where I can actually help or do something about it.”  In a moment of charming self-deprecation, the Harry Potter star called himself “gently eccentric,” saying that his childhood in a theatrical family taught him to appreciate the gay men who were in the entertainment industry.  The PSA which was filmed Friday features Radcliffe giving the Trevor Project’s phone number and website information with an encouraging word to gay teens that they need not lose hope, ever.  It is due to air in the Spring, according to a story in The Advocate.  The Trevor Project was founded in 1998 by three filmmakers.  Their Academy Award-winning short film, “Trevor,” follows the story of a 13-year-old gay boy who comes to terms with his sexuality, nearly ending his life.  The response to the 18-minute short convinced the creators of the film to establish an organization offering phone counseling or just a safe place to talk to any youth contemplating suicide because of his or her sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity.  Now they have Harry Potter on their side.

February 28, 2010 Posted by | gay teens, LGBT teen suicide prevention, Media Issues, Popular Culture, suicide | , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Daniel Radcliffe, Star of Harry Potter, Makes Major Donation to LGBT Youth Suicide Prevention

Daniel-Radcliffe.The Dallas Voice reports that Harry Potter star, Daniel Radcliffe, has made a major donation to the Trevor Project for the prevention of LGBT youth suicide.  The Trevor Project is the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, and operates the only accredited, nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for queer youth in the nation, the Trevor Helpline.  With teen suicide attempts among LGBT teens occurring four times as often as among their straight peer as a result of bullying and harassment in schools according the 2006 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey, the need to staunch this flood of hate-related suffering has never been greater.  LGBTQ youth suicide is the hidden face of anti-LGBT hate crimes in America.  Radcliffe made this personal statement through his press release: “I am very pleased to begin my support of The Trevor Project, which saves lives every day through its critical work… I deeply hope my support can raise the organization’s visibility so even more despondent youth become aware of The Trevor Helpline’s highly trained counselors and Trevor’s many other resources. It’s vitally important that young people understand they are not alone and, perhaps even more important, that their young lives have real value.”  The young, charismatic Radcliffe joins other celebrities in support of the Trevor Project, Jodi Foster, Sasha Baron Cohen, and Anne Hathaway.  No dollar amount of the gift has been released to the public, but the suggestion is that it is a large donation, and may spur other celebrities to follow suit.

August 10, 2009 Posted by | Bullying in schools, harassment, Hate Crime Statistics, Hate Crimes, Heterosexism and homophobia, LGBTQ suicide, suicide | , , , , , , | 1 Comment

   

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