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Friday, July 04, 2008
For many of us “professional gays” in New York City, summer doesn’t officially start until July, once all the hard work of June’s Pride season is behind us.
And now that we’ve caught our breath, one event stands out in our memories. A cause that we want to highlight and champion: The Trevor Project.
The around-the-clock suicide prevention and crisis hotline for LGBT and questioning youths celebrated its 10th anniversary with an annual New York summer gala fundraising dinner June 31 at the Mandarin Oriental.
The occasion also fêted the hotline’s New York call center, which opened in the past year.
To refresh your memory, The Trevor Project was founded by James Lecesne, Peggy Rajski and the late Randy Stone. The trio created the 1994 Academy-Award winning film short, “Trevor,” about a queer teen who attempts to kill himself. When HBO aired the short in 1998, the film’s creators formed The Trevor Project so that resources and phone lines would be available to anyone who watched and wanted help.
Like many fundraising events in the city, the Trevor Project gala was a posh and glamorous affair.
Like many fundraising dinners, the food, cocktails and conversation were delish.
And like many fundraising dinners, we were entertained by a roster of talented and fabulous celebrities. Comedians Sandra Bernhard and Alex Mapa were sardonic and sassy. TV stars from The N channel (home of queer faves “Degrassi: The Next Generation” and “South of Nowhere”) were well-spoken and adorable. Heather Matarazzo spoke. Rosie Perez introduced Trevor Hero Honoree Alan Cumming. Broadway icon Idena Menzel sang “Defying Gravity.”
Do we sound blasé? That’s always a risk if you’re the type of person who can attend these events regularly—or, like us—can score press tickets.
But let us tell you that we were genuinely inspired and touched by the work done at the Trevor Project. It’s important work, and it’s easy to forget, sequestered together atop a Manhattan skyscraper, exactly how harrowing and lonely the process of coming out can be.
We were reminded of this when three different youths went to the podium to receive a Colin Higgins Youth Award. Physically abused by his family, Kyle Rapinan ran away from home in Seattle, but eventually returned to school and led a Gay Straight Alliance. Athlete Perre Shelton in Calumet City, Ill., overcame taunts and bashings to become a superstar in … poetry slams. And Devon Bearden of Little Rock, Ark., started a Gay Straight Alliance in her school and focuses on helping youths of color.
Then we heard stories from the front-lines: accounts of the phone calls made to the Trevor Project. The folks who work on the phone line literally save lives. You can do the same by volunteering (did we mention there’s a new call center in New York?). At the very least make a donation.
For more information, visit thetrevorproject.org. The free helpline number is 866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386). Here’s another chance to help: Attend the benefit screening of Logo’s new series ‘Sordid Lives: The Series,’ (read our Blade story on Sordid Rue McClanahan here) Tuesday, July 15, at New World States, 343 W. 49th St.
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