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Pride means you’re never alone

TrevorSpace.org is an international online community for LGBTQ+ youth navigating the challenges of today and every day.

5-minute read
The Trevor Project is the leading national organisation providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ+) young people under 25. It was founded in 1998 by Peggy Rajski, Randy Stone and James Lecesne, the creators of the Academy Award®-winning short film TREVOR.
Find out more about The Trevor Project

Our 'new normal' of physical distancing and restricted movement has presented unique challenges for LGBTQ+ youth, leaving many isolated and disconnected from networks of critical support. So for Pride this year, Google.org is helping The Trevor Project to build awareness for TrevorSpace.org, an international online community for LGBTQ+ people between 13 and 24 years of age. As part of our commitment to Pride, Google.org is granting over £2.4 million to LGBTQ+ organisations around the world.

Pride is everywhere

This year, we’re helping support The Trevor Project’s 'Pride Everywhere' campaign to raise awareness for TrevorSpace.org, an affirming international community for LGBTQ+ youth to connect with each other and find peer support. These youth represent an especially vulnerable group within the LGBTQ+ community, and it’s our hope that this effort with The Trevor Project can help remind LGBTQ+ young people that they are never alone.

Visit TrevorSpace.org

Pride = community and collaboration

In 2019, The Trevor Project was selected to receive a Google.org grant through the Google AI Impact Challenge. This programme, along with full-time support provided by a team of 11 Googlers through the Google.org Fellowship, enabled The Trevor Project to integrate AI into its life-saving services, which provide 24/7 crisis counselling and resources to LGBTQ+ youth who need help. The Trevor Project’s counsellors leverage technologies powered by AI systems to better assess the suicide risk level of youth in crisis more quickly. This speed of processing enables counsellors to better tailor their support as well as provide relevant resources and consistent quality of care.

In short, with technology powered by AI, Trevor's staff and hundreds of volunteer crisis counsellors (including Googlers and members of Google’s LGBTQ+ and Trans At Google Employee Resource Groups) can serve LGBTQ+ youth at highest risk of suicide more quickly and with an even higher quality of care.

Find out more about The Trevor Project and their work to support LGBTQ+ young people at www.TheTrevorProject.org.

Pride events
'The Trevor Project estimates that each year more than 1.8 million LGBTQ+ youth in the US experience suicidal ideation or some form of crisis – and many of their moments of crisis are unique and extremely personal. Our crisis counsellors work tirelessly every day to support these LGBTQ+ youth.'
Amit Paley, CEO & Executive Director of The Trevor Project

A commitment renewed

In order to help The Trevor Project scale to meet record volume during the COVID-19 crisis, Google.org is renewing its commitment to the organisation with an additional £980,000 grant and a second Google.org Fellowship team. This brings Google.org's support to £2.6 million in funding to date, and the grants and pro bono support will help The Trevor Project move closer to their goal of serving over 1.8 million LGBTQ+ youth in crisis annually.

This new grant and Google.org Fellowship will enable The Trevor Project to continue to incorporate machine learning and natural language processing into its crisis services and platforms to help save young LGBTQ+ lives.

With Google’s support, The Trevor Project will be able to grow their capacity: expanded training will enable volunteer crisis counsellors to rehearse simulated support sessions with an AI-based chat bot, and machine learning-based comment moderation will enable TrevorSpace.org to provide a safe space for millions of additional LGBTQ+ youth.

'At Google, we have seen how AI can help us accomplish daily tasks, and we believe in its potential to help address some of the world’s biggest humanitarian challenges. We are excited to support The Trevor Project in using AI to help provide its critical services to LGBTQ+ youth in crisis.'
Jacquelline Fuller, VP Google.org

Pride around the world

Local LGBTQ+ organisations are working out ways to navigate the new reality while continuing to support their community, which is why Google.org is donating an additional £980,000 to local LGBTQ+ nonprofits around the world. With this support, these organisations will continue to expand their services and find unique ways to support their neighbours during Pride and beyond.

Click here to learn more about the Local Guides supporting the global LGBTQ+ community

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