Daniel Radcliffe Says No To LGBT Suicide

by Michael Jones · 2009-08-10 06:30:00 UTC
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Daniel Radcliffe

When it comes to celebrity support for LGBT rights, Daniel Radcliffe is giving everyone a run for their money.  Two weeks ago Radcliffe gave an interview to the UK's Attitude magazine, where he talked about how much he loathed homophobia, and the people that foster it.  Now he's giving a major donation to one of our favorite organizations, The Trevor Project, to combat suicide among LGBT youth.  Talk about putting your money where your mouth is.

The Trevor Project announced today that Radcliffe would be joining its circle of major donors, to help support the organizations work among LGBT youth.  Trevor works on a number of different issues, from combating violence against LGBT youth to fostering education programs that spotlight issues facing LGBT youth.  They are perhaps most famous for their Trevor Helpline, a 24-hour suicide hotline for LGBT youth.  That Help Line provides an invaluable service for LGBT populations, and the organization has said that call volume to the suicide hotline is up more than 300 percent since last year.  Wow.

Maybe that's one reason why Radcliffe wants to support the organization so badly.  There's perhaps never been a more critical time to deal with the issue of LGBT suicide, especially among young people.  Here's what Radcliffe said in announcing the donation:

It's extremely distressing to consider that in 2009 suicide is a top three killer of young people, and it's truly devastating to learn that LGBTQ youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. 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.

LGBT lives have real value.  What a message for the most famous 20-year-old in the world to proclaim loudly.  For more information on The Trevor Project, check them out here.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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