The Trevor Project is launching a new web series with a focus on LGBTQ youth. Actor Daniel Radcliffe will lead a discussion with transgender and non-binary young people who will share stories about their experiences. File Photo by Bryan R. Smith/UPI |
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March 29 (UPI) -- The Trevor Project is making space at the table for LGBTQ youth in its new roundtable discussion series Sharing Space.
The advocacy organization that specializes in suicide prevention for young LGBTQ people released a trailer for the series Wednesday, ahead of its debut episode on Friday. The debut episode, featuring film and television star Daniel Radcliffe, will be released on YouTube at 12 p.m. EST.
Radcliffe will be joined in a discussion with six transgender or non-binary young people who will share stories about their experiences, according to a press release from the Trevor Project.
"Our goal in developing this kind of content is to turn the microphone toward LGBTQ young people themselves and let them speak directly about their lives, which they know best," Megan Stowe, vice president of Brand and Content at The Trevor Project, said in a statement.
"Our society has created boxes that young people are expected to fit into, when we should be giving them the space and autonomy to figure out who they are on their own. That's why it's so important that we continue to amplify young LGBTQ voices that are so often silenced, and work towards creating a safer, more accepting world where they can thrive just as they are."
According to the Trevor Project, LGBTQ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide. Suicidal ideations have also become more frequent for the community, according to the organization's 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health. LGBTQ youth are also more than twice as likely to face homelessness, a study by the University of Chicago found.
Radcliffe has been a longtime ally for the LGBTQ community, using his platform to advocate for rights, inclusion and fair treatment. He has been working with the Trevor Project for more than a decade and was given the Trevor Hero Award in 2011.
"We listen to so many people talk about trans youth and hear them talked about so often in the news, but very rarely do we actually hear from these youth directly," he said in a statement. "It was an absolute privilege to get to meet and listen to this incredible group of young people. At the end of the day, if you're going to talk about trans kids, it might be useful to actually listen to trans kids."
If you or someone you know is suicidal, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
