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Andrew Mortensen, Biking Across the World for Trevor

Starting in 2020, Andrew Mortensen felt the gloom of COVID-19. Initially searching for a way to spend more time outdoors, he took the small step of biking between two national parks in the Pacific Northwest. Little did he know that his journey would eventually span 37 countries and over 27,000 miles, making him the first openly gay man to cycle around the globe, from North America to the tip of South America, from Spain to Singapore. Along the way, Andrew fundraised over $19,000 for The Trevor Project and wore an orange Trevor t-Shirt to spread the message of hope that…
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Celebrating International Asexuality Day

As we celebrate International Asexuality Day during this first week of April, this is a great time to support those in our lives who are asexual and try to better understand what asexuality is. First and foremost, it’s important to recognize that asexual folks have been nearly erased from conversations around identity and sexuality. This week is about affirming their existence, validity, and experiences.  Asexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by a lack of sexual attraction to others. This differs from aromanticism, a romantic orientation that describes people who do not experience romantic attraction. However, it’s important to remember that…
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#TransatTrevor Community Stories for Trans Day of Visibility

At The Trevor Project, we may be an all-remote workforce, but we understand the importance of building community. Our affinity groups allow for members of our teams with similar experiences and identities to share stories, find support, and forge solidarity. We asked some of the members of our #TransatTrevor channel what Trans Day of Visibility meant to them; we’re reminded that for Trevor staff, our mission is personal. Many of us are just LGBTQ+ young people who grew up and are here because we are trying to build the brighter future for the next generation that we ourselves dreamed of…
Community

The Importance of Safe Language On Social Media

As a suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, The Trevor Project regularly sees unsafe language that many use on social media without consideration for others’ mental health. Whether targeting our organization, the LGBTQ+ young people we serve, or the judges, government officials, advocates, and supporters who work with us, there is an urgent need for social media platforms and their users to take action to protect the safety of our community. The Trevor Project is strongly aware of the negative impact that language can have on mental health; unsafe language and harassment is often directed at the LGBTQ+ youth…
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Women’s History is Trans History

Women’s History Month is meant to commemorate women’s vital contributions to society, and while we know a lot about the Suffragettes and Title IX, people like Sojourner Truth and Billie Jean King, trans women have been historically left out of the month-long recognition. Advancements in rights for the entire LGBTQ+ community can be traced back to the tireless efforts and creative resistance of trans women. Because of the double forces of transphobia and misogyny, fundamental rights many take for granted, like housing, employment, medical care, and social support, remain difficult to attain for trans women and transfeminine people. LGBTQ+ history…
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Chicago’s Citypill, Where Queer Goes Without Saying

Chicago’s DIY music scene is as exciting and dynamic as the people who live here — every weekend offers opportunities to see punk shows, DJ sets, avant-garde noise, performance art, rappers, jazz and blues bands, and more, and more. And even though Chicago has so much to offer, if you don’t branch out, it can appear like the dominating force is punk bands lead by white cis guys. No shade to those punk bands (I love many of them!), but I spent my adolescence in the DIY punk scene. After many years, the same chord progressions can get monotonous. And…