Trevor Project Launches New Series to Amplify Young LGBTQ+ Voices on Transgender Day of Visibility

To commemorate Transgender Day of Visibility today on March 31, The Trevor Project has launched a new roundtable series "Sharing Space" to amplify the voices of LGBTQ+ young people. 

The inaugural episode, launched by the suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, gives transgender and nonbinary youth a platform to discuss their unique lived experiences.  "Sharing Space," is a new roundtable series featuring conversations with LGBTQ+ youth moderated by curious, open-minded adults and allies. The first episode of this educational series will be moderated by long-time supporter of The Trevor Project, Daniel Radcliffe. 

The first episode of "Sharing Space" features six transgender and nonbinary young people who sit down with Radcliffe to have a candid, vulnerable, and illuminating conversation about their personal journeys and unique lived experiences. An advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, Radcliffe helps facilitate a heartfelt discussion exploring topics such as gender euphoria, respecting pronouns, self-discovery, and what genuine allyship looks like. "Sharing Space" provides a much-needed platform for young trans and nonbinary voices – whom new research shows are coming out at younger ages compared to previous generations. The conversations bring humanity to identities that are often marginalized, misunderstood, and weaponized in political spheres.

"We listen to so many people talk about trans youth and hear them talked about so often in the news, but very rarely do we actually hear from these youth directly,” commented Radcliffe. “It was an absolute privilege to get to meet and listen to this incredible group of young people. At the end of the day, if you're going to talk about trans kids, it might be useful to actually listen to trans kids."

Radcliffe's ongoing support of The Trevor Project dates back over a decade, when the actor starred in a PSA to raise awareness of the organization's free and confidential crisis services. In 2011, Radcliffe was honored with the Trevor HeroAward at the annual TrevorLIVE gala, where he gave an impassioned speech to LGBTQ+ young people going through their darkest moments.

The release of this new series is more timely than ever, as a record-number of anti-LGBTQ bills – the majority of which target trans and nonbinary young people – are being introduced and considered in states across the country. This vitriolic rhetoric is incredibly harmful to trans and nonbinary youth, who already face disproportionate levels of victimization, violence, and suicide risk. According to The Trevor Project's research, 86% of trans and nonbinary youth say recent debates around anti-trans bills have negatively impacted their mental health — and as a result of these policies and debates in the last year, 45% of trans youth experienced cyberbullying, and nearly 1 in 3 reported not feeling safe to go to the doctor or hospital when they were sick or injured.

"Sharing Space" comes on the heels of The Trevor Project launching another series, "Learn with Love," which highlights the stories of three transgender young people and the adults who came to love and accept them. Both "Sharing Space" and "Learn with Love" are designed to be episodic and chronicle the experiences of LGBTQ young people through their own words, in a world where their identities are being relentlessly attacked and invalidated by adults across U.S. politics and culture. Coinciding with Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31 — an annual event celebrating trans joy and honoring the contributions of the trans community — "Sharing Space" is an uplifting series in which viewers can walk away with a more positive understanding of the trans experience. 

"Our goal in developing this kind of content is to turn the microphone toward LGBTQ young people themselves and let them speak directly about their lives, which they know best," said Megan Stowe (she/her), VP of Brand and Content at The Trevor Project. "LGBTQ young people, particularly transgender and nonbinary youth, are routinely forced to stand by and watch adults debate their very existence and life experiences. Our society has created boxes that young people are expected to fit into, when we should be giving them the space and autonomy to figure out who they are on their own. That's why it's so important that we continue to amplify young LGBTQ voices that are so often silenced, and work towards creating a safer, more accepting world where they can thrive just as they are." The Trevor Project intends to release several episodes of "Sharing Space" throughout the year, and each episode will feature a different theme, different host, and different group of LGBTQ young people. 

Viewers will be able to access the first episode of "Sharing Space" with Daniel Radcliffe, when it officially launches on YouTube today at (12pm ET on Friday, March 31,2023 on The Trevor Project's YouTube Channel.