TPG supports The Trevor Project in taking a stand against anti-LGBTQ+ community legislation

Given recently passed legislation that, to many, is discriminatory toward members of the LGBTQ+community, TPG is doing its part to combat the homophobia implicit in the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill.

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Earlier this month, the Florida Senate passed House Bill 1557, dubbed by supporters as the "Parental Rights in Education bill," which among other provisions, limits "classroom instruction" on gender and sexuality based on what is "appropriate" according to the age of students. To add insult to injury, the language in the bill is confusing as to how it will be enforced and what exactly qualifies under the ban.

Many have condemned the bill, signed into law on March 28 by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), over concerns regarding its anti-LGBTQ+ language.

Advocacy groups have spoken out about it and they've been joined by free-speech advocates and even some companies. The Trevor Project is taking a major stand against the bill. The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ+) young people.

“The Trevor Project’s research has found that LGBTQ+ youth who learned about LGBTQ+ issues or people in classes at school had 23% lower odds of reporting a suicide attempt in the past year. This bill will erase young LGBTQ+ students across Florida, forcing many back into the closet by policing their identity and silencing important discussions about the issues they face,” Sam Ames, Director of Advocacy and Government Affairs at The Trevor Project, said in a statement. “LGBTQ+ students deserve their history and experiences to be reflected in their education, just like their peers.”

Similar efforts have begun in Texas, where Gov. Greg Abbott (R) directed the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate parents of transgender children for possible child abuse. Activists say that policy implies raising your transgender child to live in the way in which they identify is a form of parental abuse.

Although I am just one person writing this story, I can speak for everyone at TPG when I say we do not support attempts to limit people’s rights to make decisions about their families, or their own bodies.

We also reject attempts to limit LGBTQ+ rights like the bill working its way through the Florida statehouse. We are disturbed by the increasingly extreme moves by states across the country to target the LGBTQ community.

Research shows that legislation can severely impact the mental health of those affected.

According to a recent poll conducted by Morning Consult, 85% of transgender and nonbinary youth - 66% of all LGBTQ+ youth - said recent state laws restricting the rights of transgender people have negatively impacted their mental health.

When transgender and nonbinary youth were asked about proposed legislation to require schools to tell a student’s parent or guardian if they request to use a different name/pronoun or if they identify as LGBTQ at school, 47% said it made them feel nervous and/or scared and more than 1 in 3 felt sad.

Therefore, TPG is proud to match donations up to $10,000 in support of The Trevor Project for their continued lifesaving aid to LGBTQ+ youth.

And that's not all, you can join us in the collective fight to protect young LGBTQ+ people by educating yourself via resources like The Trevor Project, informing yourself with local legislative efforts in your state and by simply refraining from inserting yourself in people's identification, where it does not belong.

If you or someone you know needs help or support, The Trevor Project’s trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help, or by texting START to 678678.

Remember, you are never alone.