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Trevor Project CEO sacked re: ‘workplace well-being’ concerns

There was “staff dissatisfaction, particularly as it relates to the organization’s quick large-scale growth & the burden it put on employees”

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TrevorLIVE LA 2018 Opening Keynote by Amit Paley (Screenshot/YouTube)

WASHINGTON – The board of directors of the Trevor Project has “elected to make a change in leadership” by removing from office it’s chief executive officer and executive director since 2017, Amit Paley, according to a statement released to the Washington Blade.

The Blade reached out to Trevor Project, which describes itself on its website as the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for LGBTQ young people, for comment after the publication Teen Vogue broke the news about Paley’s dismissal in a Nov. 4 story.

The story cited an unidentified source familiar with the organization as saying the dismissal was brought about following “staff dissatisfaction, particularly as it relates to the organization’s quick large-scale growth and the burden it put on employees.”

In its statement to the Blade, which is identical to the one it sent to Teen Vogue, Trevor Project says in recent years it has struggled to provide its services for LGBTQ youth at risk for suicide in the midst of a hostile political climate in which LGBTQ youth and their families are under attack. 

“The Trevor Project is currently facing a period of transition, rethinking how to sustainably grow our 24/7 crisis services to respond to the public health crisis of LGBTQ youth suicide and address the mental health disparities impacting these youth,” the statement says.

“In 2017, the organization averaged less than 200 inbound crisis contacts per day; in 2022, it’s averaging more than 2,000 crisis contacts pers day,” the statement continues. 

“This intense climate has led to significant stress on our organization, and many members of our staff have raised concerns about workplace well-being, professional development, prioritization performance metrics and resourcing compensation — particularly as they impact our BIPOC [Black, indigenous and people of color], transgender, nonbinary and disabled team members,” the statement says.

“While a comprehensive, independent review of the Trevor Project is being conducted, the board of directors elected to make a change in leadership,” it says, while making no specific mention that it dismissed Paley.  

In response to a request by the Blade for comment, Paley arranged for a communications firm representing him to send the Blade the same statement he released to Teen Vogue.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to lead the Trevor Project’s life-saving team for over five years,” Paley’s statement says. 

It points out that under his tenure, the organization expanded its services by launching a “24/7 digital crisis service, created a ground-breaking research department, expanded the world’s largest campaign to end conversion therapy and grew our team from 50 employees to over 500.”

The statement, which makes no mention of the reported concerns raised by employees, concludes by saying, “the Trevor Project’s vital work is needed now more than ever, and I will always remain deeply committed to the organization’s vision of a world where all LGBTQ young people see a bright future for themselves.”

The Trevor Project’s statement, meanwhile, says until a permanent CEO is identified, Peggy Rajski, one of Trevor Project’s founders and longtime board member, will serve as interim CEO. It says Gina Muñoz, the board’s chair emeritus, will serve as special assistant to the interim CEO.

Teen Vogue reports in its Nov. 4 story that two sources familiar with the Trevor Project said at some point prior to Paley’s removal, more than 200 employees signed a letter to the board expressing dissatisfaction with Paley’s leadership.

An earlier article by Teen Vogue published on July 25 reports that some staff members at that time were calling on Paley to resign after news surfaced that he worked prior to joining the Trevor Project for the corporate consulting firm McKinsey and Co. helping the pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma increase its sales of opioid drugs. 

With many LGBTQ youth, along with other young people, dying from the overdose of opioid drugs across the country, some of the Trevor Project staffers thought it was hypocritical for Paley to join the Trevor Project as CEO shortly after promoting the sale of opioids, the Teen Vogue article reports.

The article reports Paley sent an email to the staff after news about his links to opioid sales surfaced, stating, “If I knew then what I know now, I would not have agreed to do any consulting work for [Purdue] and I regret that I did.”

At the time Paley became Trevor Project’s CEO in 2017 and during his first few years there, Trevor Project had offices in West Hollywood, Calif., and New York City, with a smaller office in D.C. But according to spokesperson Tali Mackay, currently, “the Trevor Project is fully remote, and we do not have physical offices.”

One former employee who spoke to the Blade on condition of not being identified said most concern raised by staff members about Paley was not because he wanted to expand the Trevor Project’s programs to meet the needs of a growing number of clients.

The main concern, the former staffer said, was his perceived inability or unwillingness to address the needs of the staff, including transgender staff members who felt their specific needs weren’t being met.

“It’s hard to make that kind of growth,” the former staffer said. “And I think he had a vision, but that vision had to turn inward more than outward sometimes.”  

Both Paley and the Trevor Project officials declined to comment further than what they said in the statements they released, their respective spokespersons said.

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Tim Walz to headline HRC National Dinner

Tickets are still available for the event on Saturday

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 21, 2024. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Minnesota governor and Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz will be the keynote speaker at the Human Rights Campaign National Dinner on Saturday, the organization announced on X.

Tickets are still available for the event. HRC is also hosting an Equality Convention this week, “a destination for trailblazers in politics, culture, and business who are igniting change and driving LGBTQ+ equality forward.”

When Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic 2024 presidential nominee, announced Walz as her running mate on Aug. 6, HRC President Kelley Robinson said her pick “sends a message that a Harris-Walz Administration will be committed to advancing equality and justice for all.”

The group wrote in a press release: “Governor Walz is a career-long champion for LGBTQ+ people. In 1999, as a history teacher and football coach, Walz sponsored the school’s first gay straight alliance student group.

“He opposed efforts to ban same-sex marriage in the Minnesota Constitution. While serving in Congress, he co-sponsored legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), voted to repeal the discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law, voted for the Matthew Shepard/James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and introduced legislation to protect LGBTQ+ service members from discrimination in benefits.

“As governor, Tim Walz signed an executive order banning the dangerous practice of ‘conversion therapy’ in Minnesota.”

HRC in May pledged $15 million to organize in key battleground states for the Democratic ticket. Just days after President Joe Biden stepped out of the race and backed Harris as the presumptive nominee, the group raised more than $300,000 for her campaign in a virtual fundraiser.

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GLAAD’s 2024 Accelerating Acceptance study documents disinformation’s impact

Group will review findings at the DNC

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GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

GLAAD released the 2024 Accelerating Acceptance study on Thursday, which found that acceptance for LGBTQ people remains at supermajority levels, but overall support for the community has dropped slightly as reports of discrimination have risen.

At a glance, the organization’s top-line findings reveal that:

  • 95 percent of non-LGBTQ Americans believe schools should be safe and accepting for all youth,
  • 93 percent say children should be taught to appreciate and accept people as they are,
  • 80 percent support LGBTQ equal rights, down from a record high of 84 percent one year ago, and
  • 70 percent of GenZ LGBTQ adults report discrimination based on their sexual orientation.

The 16-page report is available here. GLAAD’s Media Institute has published Accelerating Acceptance studies each year since 2015. The organization will hold a briefing at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 20 to review this year’s findings.

As the data shows, “more non-LGBTQ people have been inspired to speak up for LGBTQ equality as a result of accurate news coverage,” GLAAD wrote in a press release, “and voters have shown up in election after election to reject extremist candidates and their anti-trans campaigns.”

However, along with the findings about discrimination — particularly among Gen Z adults, the largest population of out Americans in history — respondents also report “negative mental health impact, fear for their safety, and online and real world harassment as a result of the political discourse in the country.”

“GLAAD’s 2024 Accelerating Acceptance Study arrives at a monumental inflection point for the LGBTQ community and for our entire country,” GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis said. “While acceptance for LGBTQ people remains at supermajority levels, the data this year also sounds substantial alarms about threats to this progress and to freedoms valued by every American.”

“The same extremist lawmakers, judges and media sources targeting abortion access, contraception, free and fair elections, and free speech, are using the same strategies of fear and disinformation to undermine LGBTQ people and our equality,” Ellis said.

She added, “Fortunately, the data also points to proven ways to keep expanding and accelerating acceptance.”

The online study was conducted in January 2024 with a nationwide sample of 2,511 U.S. adults.

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GLAAD president under fire for excessive spending

Spokesperson called New York Times report ‘grossly misleading’

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GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis is under fire for excessive spending following a report in the New York Times on Thursday, which suggested the first class airfare, hotel accommodations, and car services booked by the organization’s chief executive for business travel far outpace the expenses of leaders of similarly sized nonprofits.

Quoting legal, nonprofit, and ethics experts, the article suggests Ellis and GLAAD’s actions may also have violated IRS rules, including their decision to not declare spending on Ellis’s home office renovation as income on her personal tax forms.

When Ellis joined in 2014, the article notes, GLAAD was in dire financial straits. Elevating the group’s public profile and expanding its purview, Ellis had quintupled its revenue to $19 million by 2022.

“Major donors have included media and tech companies such as Netflix, Google, and the Walt Disney Company; philanthropists like Ariadne Getty; and the New York City Council,” the Times wrote. “In 2022, the billionaire MacKenzie Scott donated $10 million.”

GLAAD’s chief communications officer, Rich Ferraro, said the board took Ellis’s performance into consideration when deciding her compensation, as under her leadership the advocacy group had started punching above its weight.

In a statement to the Advocate, Ferraro called the article “deeply misleading,” specifically disputing claims about Ellis’s annual compensation and denying that she ever took home “anything near” $1 million per year.

The organization has tussled with the Times in the past over the paper’s coverage of transgender issues. The Times, meanwhile, told the Advocate the paper stands by its reporting and noted GLAAD did not challenge any facts in the story.

Andy Lane, who has held senior roles in LGBTQ philanthropy, wrote on Facebook “GLAAD is a fraud, and has been as long as I’ve been in the business. For shame: And … girl, bye. Long overdue.”

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LGBTQ+ History Archive Gains Momentum: Personal Stories Project Partners with George Takei

Increased Awareness Through Social Media Reach

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George Takei (Blade file photo by Michael Key)

George Takei was recently honored at the first-ever Critics Choice LGBTQ+ Awards. (Image from Georgetakei.com)

The LGBTQ+ History Archive Personal Stories Project is experiencing a surge in submissions. This decade-long effort documents LGBTQ+ history through personal narratives. Its success stems from a new partnership with actor George Takei and the .gay domain provider.

Charles Chan Massey co-founded and directs the Personal Stories Project. He credits the partnership’s success to Takei’s vast social media following. Takei, a vocal LGBTQ+ rights advocate, encouraged his 3.3 million X followers to share their stories.

Takei posted: “Each of us in the LGBTQIA+ community has a powerful coming-out story to tell. I want to hear yours. Head over to personalstories.gay today. Fill out the form to be featured on the Personal Stories website. I’ll be sharing some throughout the month to inspire others.”

Amplifying Community Voices

Logan Lynn is the creative director of .gay Domains. He emphasizes the partnership’s role in amplifying vital LGBTQ+ voices.

“Pride is about honoring and celebrating the depth of our communities,” Lynn said. “What better way to showcase this than through stories from people living LGBTQIA+ lives?”

Preserving Everyday Stories for Future Generations

Massey founded the LGBTQ+ archive project in 2012. His mission: preserve narratives of ordinary LGBTQ+ individuals, not just prominent figures.

“I wanted to archive our community’s history,” Massey explained. “Not just prominent members, but regular people who needed a platform. Regular people can identify with regular people. It’s important to see someone just like you.”

Massey maintains an online archive. This ensures accessibility of these oral histories for the LGBTQ+ community.

“As long as the internet exists, it can archive our stories,” Massey said. “We’re preserving stories for future generations. We’re also helping people find others with similar journeys.”

From Facebook Page to Registered Charity

The LGBTQ+ History Archive Personal Stories Project started as a simple Facebook page. It has evolved into a dedicated website and registered charity. It now supports LGBTQ+ organizations across the US and Canada.

Many participants share how LGBTQ+ organizations helped them. The Personal Stories Project encourages donations to these charities. Massey reports raising $15,000 to $25,000 annually for over 20 non-profits.

“95% of our budget goes to other 501(c)(3) organizations,” Massey said. “We support large and small community-based groups. A $200 donation can make a significant difference.”

A Diverse Collection of Experiences

The Personal Stories Project has a vast collection of LGBTQ+ stories. Massey is often struck by the depth of experiences shared.

“I met Peter, who was 85 at the time,” Massey shared. “He served in the Air Force, modeled in the 1940s, started an ad agency, and lived through the AIDS crisis. His story shows the power of these narratives.”

The project seeks submissions from all parts of the LGBTQ+ community. This includes people of various ethnicities and generations.

“People often think their story isn’t interesting,” Massey said. “But when they share, it’s captivating! Someone will identify with your story. Sharing is a powerful gift and a responsibility.”

Share Your Story

Do you have an LGBTQ+ story to share? Visit personalstories.gay to contribute to this important historical archive.

Image from Personalstories.gay website

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Pro-Palestinian activists protest LGBTQ+ group’s gala in NYC

Israel-Hamas war opposition to overshadow Pride events

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Pro-Palestinian protesters protest outside Outright International's 2024 Gala in New York on June 3, 2024. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

NEW YORK — More than 300 people who protested outside an Outright International gala on Monday criticized the organization for its “silence and refusal to use” its network “and advocacy to provide immediate relief to Palestinians” who remain in the Gaza Strip.

Members of ACT UP, the Audre Lorde Project and other groups who were outside Pier 60 in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood handed out flyers that read “Israel bombs queers” and “no Pride in genocide” as gala attendees arrived. A press release notes upwards of 100 people held a “die-in” for 241 seconds “to signify the 241 days of Israel’s bombardment of Palestine.”

(washington blade video by michael k. lavers)

Actor Billy Porter is among those who Outright International honored at the gala.

Protest organizers in their press release noted Porter “signed onto a statement in support of the Zionist state of Israel” after Hamas, which the U.S. has designated a terrorist organization, launched its surprise attack against southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The press release also criticized Porter over his “problematic comments in which he rebuffed James Baldwin’s anti-Zionist, pro-Palestinian stance while claiming to be the best person to direct and star in Baldwin’s biopic.”

ACT UP further reiterated its demands for Outright International, which advocates for LGBTQ+ and intersex rights around the world.

• Amplify the struggle to decolonize Palestine

• Support local LGBTIQ Palestinian orgs with funding

• Advocate at the United Nations to stop US-supported human rights violations

• Disclose and divest from funders with links to Israel

Outright International on Oct. 27 publicly called for a ceasefire in Gaza. Maria Sjödin, the group’s executive director, on Monday noted the protest during their speech at the gala.

“Activism for a better world takes many forms, and that is a great thing,” said Sjödin. “One of those forms is to protest and some of you saw this action on the way in.”

The Washington Blade attended the gala, and saw some attendees wearing keffiyahs and watermelon patches that have emerged as symbols of Palestinian solidarity since the war between Israel and Hamas began after Oct. 7. Gala attendees cheered when Sjödin said Outright International “supports a peaceful protest without any reservation.” 

“Outright supports the spirit of the protest to bring attention to the loss of human lives,” they said.

The Israeli government says Hamas militants killed roughly 1,200 people on Oct. 7, including at least 260 partygoers and others at the Nova Music Festival. The Israeli government on Tuesday said roughly 80 people who were taken hostage on Oct. 7 remain alive in the Gaza Strip.

The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry says more than 35,000 people have died in the enclave since the war began.

The International Criminal Court on May 20 announced it plans to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders — Yehya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh. Karim Khan, the ICC’s chief prosecutor, said the five men have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza and Israel. 

“The ICC prosecutor’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous,” said President Joe Biden in a May 20 statement. “Let me be clear: Whatever this prosecutor (Khan) might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.”

The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday by a 247-155 vote margin approved a bill that would sanction the ICC. Forty-two Democrats supported the measure.

U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), who is a vocal supporter of Israel, on Sunday in an X post said “anti-Israel activists tore down the flag honoring me” on Fire Island as the first gay Afro-Latino person elected to Congress and “instead put up a flag honoring queer Palestinians.” The New York Democrat in another message wrote that ACT UP New York “proudly admits to illegally vandalizing the flag honoring me.”

Pro-Palestine protesters on Sunday disrupted the Philadelphia Pride March.

The annual D.C. Dyke March, which will be called Dykes Against Ge(NO)cide this year, will take place in Lafayette Park on Friday. A “Stop the Genocide” protest is scheduled to occur in front of the White House on Saturday at noon.

The Capital Pride Parade will begin three hours later at 14th and T Streets, N.W. Porter is among those who are scheduled to perform at the Capital Pride Festival that will take place on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., on Sunday.

The Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity and the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights are among the groups on Tuesday that demanded Pride parade and national LGBTQ+ rights groups “immediately ban the corporations responsible for fueling the genocide in Gaza and worldwide colonial violence from sponsoring or participating in Pride events.” The organizations also released a set of demands that include:

  • Ban weapons manufacturers from both participation in and sponsorship of Pride events.  
  • Support Palestinians and their resistance efforts. 
  • Condemn and work to dismantle pinkwashing and homonationalism. 
  • Call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire and an end to arming Israel. 
  • Cut ties with all organizations that profit from war, detention, and incarceration, environmental destruction, and displacement. 
  • Ban police from marching and participating in Pride, and denounce state violence. 

“Over the past eight months, queer and trans people have been at the forefront of mobilizing for a liberated Palestine,” said Firas Nasr, a nonbinary activist and organizer who is based in D.C., in a press release. “Yet Pride organizations — and national LGBTQIA+ orgs that claim to represent our community — have largely remained silent while championing corporations behind the genocide.”

Nasir is among the upwards of 200 people who marched from Dupont Circle to the Human Rights Campaign in February and called upon it and other LGBTQ+ rights organizations to “demand an end to genocide and occupation of Palestine.” No Pride in Genocide organized the protest.

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Pride organizers called upon to ensure Jewish people can safely participate in events

A Wider Bridge sent letter to Capital Pride Alliance, other event organizers

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Members of A Wider Bridge and other LGBTQ+ Jewish groups participate in the Israel Day Parade in New York on June 2, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Ethan Felson)

NEW YORK — A Wider Bridge has called upon Pride organizers across the country to ensure Jewish people can safely participate in their events.

The group, which “advocates for justice, counters LGBTQphobia, and fights antisemitism and other forms of hatred,” sent a letter to the Capital Pride Alliance and more than 60 other Pride organizers.

“We know that the 2024 Pride season promises to be enormously important for our community,” wrote A Wider Bridge Executive Director Ethan Felson. “With LGBTQ+ rights under attack, our collective energy, commitment, and passion are needed more than ever. We deeply appreciate your tireless work to ensure that our voices are heard and that our community can come together, even in challenging times, to protest injustice and to celebrate our identities.”

“We write with a pressing concern,” added Felson.

This year’s Pride Month will take place eight months after Hamas launched its surprise attack against southern Israel.

The Israeli government says Hamas militants killed roughly 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023, including at least 260 partygoers and others at the Nova Music Festival. The Israeli government on Tuesday said roughly 80 people who were taken hostage on Oct. 7 remain alive in the Gaza Strip.

The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry says more than 35,000 people have died in the enclave since the war began. The National LGBTQ Task Force and Outright International are among the groups that have called for a ceasefire.

A press release that announced A Wider Bridge’s letter notes antisemitic attacks increased 337 percent between Oct. 7 and Dec. 7, and 93 percent of Jewish people said “antisemitism is a real problem in America.” The press release further notes LGBTQ+ Jewish people “have previously faced discrimination at Pride events” that include three people who said organizers of Chicago’s Dyke March in 2017 refused to allow them to participate because they had Jewish Pride flags.

“This year, ahead of Pride, we are seeing and hearing about attacks online against queer Jewish and Zionist individuals,” said A Wider Bridge in the press release.

The letter includes five recommendations for Pride event organizers.

  • Engage with local LGBTQ+ Jews: Actively reach out to your local LGBTQ+ Jewish community, learn what their specific safety concerns are, and establish a relationship if you don’t already have one.
  • Consult with safety personnel in advance: Assuming that law enforcement will be present at Pride, make it clear that they should respond to anti-Jewish harassment or violence according to agreed-upon protocols for any such behavior. Share relevant guidelines with Pride marshals and provide de-escalation training so they are equipped to reduce tensions.
  • Carefully vet performers: In this tense political climate, it is more important than ever to vet performers both for the ability to speak respectfully to and about a diverse audience and to set clear expectations for performances at your event.
  • Familiarize yourself with and display inclusive Pride flags: Jews have been excluded from Pride spaces for wearing a Jewish star or bringing Pride flags with Jewish stars, an ancient symbol of Jewish identity. Familiarize yourself with symbols that Jewish LGBTQ+ people may wear or display.
  • Do not allow gate-keeping of LGBTQ+ Jews: Do not use litmus tests to determine which Jews are welcome at Pride, such as only permitting Jews with certain beliefs around or relationships with Israel and Palestine. All Jews should be welcome at Pride events.

Capital Pride has yet to respond to the Washington Blade’s request for comment on the letter.

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Record number of students reached by HRC’s anti-bullying program

The program’s 9th annual National Day of Reading- “A Celebration of Stories Supporting Trans & Non-Binary Youth” saw 36,000 participants

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Human Rights Campaign headquarters in D.C. (Washington Blade/Michael Key)

WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign’s Welcoming Schools program reached a record 750,000 students in fiscal year 2024 — supporting communities that are contending with the dramatic rise, in recent years, of anti-LGBTQ harassment and reported hate crimes in schools.

Data on the expanded reach of HRC’s pre-K-12 anti-bullying program, now in its 16th year, was included in the group’s fourth annual Welcoming Schools report, released on Tuesday.

“Welcoming Schools has continued to serve as a beacon, providing accessible training, resources, and actionable policies and practices at a time when proposals for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation specifically targeting our youth is at a devastatingly high level,” the group’s president, Kelley Robinson, said in the report’s introduction.

A third of the more than 550 anti-LGBTQ bills that were introduced across the U.S. last year have targeted LGBTQ inclusion in classrooms, disproportionately impacting transgender and gender-expansive youth, HRC noted in a press release announcement.

The “unsurprising result” of these legislative attacks, the organization wrote, has been a documented rise in bullying and harassment encountered by queer youth in educational settings.

According to an analysis of FBI statistics reported in March by the Washington Post, “the number of hate crimes on K-12 campuses” in states with restrictive laws “has more than quadrupled since the onset of a divisive culture war that has often centered on the rights of LGBTQ+ youth.”

The paper also found that “calls to LGBTQ+ youth crisis hotlines have exploded, with some advocates drawing a connection between the political climate and the spike in bullying and hate crimes.”

And in a survey published in November by HRC and the University of Connecticut, nearly 60 percent of LGBTQ teens reported that they had experienced bullying in school over their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Cheryl Greene, senior director of the Welcoming Schools program, said in the press release that “this work across local school districts is crucial to the success of our kids in school, especially as we’ve seen and heard from families who are uprooting their lives and moving states just to find more accepting, inclusive environments.”

“Our 2024 annual report showcases the tremendous impact of our trainings and resources in fostering environments where all students can thrive,” she said.

Robinson highlighted that Welcoming Schools’ “latest initiatives showcase our commitment to expanding opportunities for secondary-level training, making resources more accessible through Spanish translation, and embracing the power of e-learning.”

This year, the program’s ninth annual National Day of Reading was titled, “A Celebration of Stories Supporting Transgender and Non-Binary Youth” saw 36,000 participants and reached 130,000 people on social media. 

According to the report, “Since 2011, Welcoming Schools has trained educators in all 50 States, plus D.C., Aruba, Bahamas, Denmark, El Salvador, Germany, Honduras, Mexico, Qatar, Taiwan, and Uganda.”

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Building support for trans rights by engaging conservatives

“If you love your child, I need you to step back and love them enough to believe them when they tell you who they are”

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GRACE ad featuring Eric Childs with his trans son (Screen capture: GRACE/YouTube)

COLUMBIA, S.C. — When conservative legislators endeavor to restrict the rights of transgender youth, such as by blocking access to gender-affirming healthcare, they betray their commitment to freedom from government intervention into the private lives of American families, combat veteran Eric Childs explains in a new ad by the Gender Research Advisory Council and Education.

The South Carolina father opens the ad by sharing how he is working to secure a future in which his trans child can enjoy “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” the same principles for which he served his country “in defense of freedom, fighting for democracy.”

“I live in a small town in South Carolina,” Childs says, as the ad shows him loading a handgun to practice target shooting with his son. “I absolutely believe in protecting my rights.”

He then addresses his state’s proposed bill to ban guideline-directed, medically necessary healthcare interventions for trans minors: “I ask that you respect the sacrifices that were made in the name of freedom for this country, and vote no for Bill H. 4624.”

“My child has parents that get to decide his health care,” Childs says. “If you love your child, I need you to step back and love them enough to believe them when they tell you who they are. Love them. At all costs — beyond everything.”

Testifying before the South Carolina Legislature in January, Childs told lawmakers his family’s healthcare decisions are not made on a “whim” and explained how he wants to guarantee his son has every medically recommended option available.

Along with blocking access to treatments that are supported by every mainstream scientific and medical society, H. 4624 would prohibit healthcare providers from facilitating minor patients’ access to this care while also requiring school administrators to forcibly “out” trans students to their parents.

Alaina Kupec, founder and president of GRACE, told Bay Area Reporter that her new nonprofit “has a specific mission that does not conflict with other nonprofits in the LGBTQ or transgender-specific space” by working to “assist other groups in addressing misinformation about transgender people.”

The group’s members are in D.C. this week to meet with advocacy leaders and officials in the White House and on Capitol Hill.

On Wednesday, the law firm Skadden Arps is hosting a fundraiser for GRACE that will feature Kupec alongside Rick Colby, a “life-long Republican, Parents Advisory Councilmember of GRACE, and proud father of a transgender son” and “other leaders engaged on transgender issues.”

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Trevor Project is hit with another round of layoffs

Prior to last week, employees were warned that reductions in the workforce were coming, including in an email from the interim CEO on Jan. 30

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Trevor Project co-founder Peggy Rajski now serves as CEO. (Screen capture via YouTube)

NEW YORK — The world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth laid off six percent of its staff last week, which comes less than a year after 12 percent of its workforce was cut amid allegations of financial mismanagement and union-busting activities.

Three sources familiar with the matter, all of whom spoke with the Washington Blade on the condition of anonymity, said the move has only exacerbated flagging morale among some Trevor Project employees who, by and large, had already lost faith in leadership.

Trouble at the organization was first reported by the Blade in August of 2023. In the months since, the sources agreed that management has failed to turn around the organization while neglecting staff, including those who do the difficult and mission-critical work of fielding crisis calls.

Interim CEO says organization on solid footing


“This decision, although very difficult, was necessary, and we committed to navigating it with care and purpose,” the group’s founder and interim CEO Peggy Rajski said in a written statement to the Blade confirming the layoffs.

“We worked closely and transparently with our union representatives throughout the process, and appreciate the heart, integrity and understanding of all involved to help ensure the organization’s longevity and ongoing ability to carry out its life-saving mission,” she said.

Rajski’s statement continues: “We remain grateful for the dedication and contributions of each member of our team. I want to reassure everyone that our commitment to LGBTQ+ young people remains unwavering.

“Our mission to provide critical support and services to LGBTQ+ youth in crisis is as vital as ever. This restructuring enables us to sustain our quality core services, ensuring that we continue to be a reliable, steady resource for those in need. As always, we remain open 24/7 for any young person who needs us. 

“In these moments of change, The Trevor Project’s promise of service remains strong. We thank our supporters and allies for their continuing support for the lifesaving programs we provide our beloved but all too often besieged LGBTQ+ youth.”  

Representatives for Friends of Trevor United, the union organized under the Communication Workers of America, did not respond to requests for comment. One source said the union was heavily involved in bargaining throughout the process but was not notified in advance of the date on which the layoffs occurred.

‘The mood is really gloomy’


“The volunteer training and experience teams were reduced by about a third,” said the first source, who added that all levels of employees were affected by Wednesday’s layoffs, from the “lowest-paid coordinators up to directors.”

This source confirmed Rajski’s claim that hotline services remain open 24/7, but noted there will be fewer volunteers “moving forward with these changes to the team sizes.” A second source said staff burn out had set in since the first round of layoffs last summer.

Prior to last week, employees were warned that reductions in the workforce were coming, including in an email from the interim CEO on Jan. 30 that was reviewed by the Blade.

“We did not anticipate facing so much continued friction with our fundraising efforts in FY24,” Rajski wrote. “Despite stringent actions that our whole organization has taken to reduce spending and bring in additional funding, we are facing major ongoing shortfalls in revenue.”

The email further explained that layoffs would be accompanied by other cost-saving measures, including the reduction of discretionary expenses like non-essential hiring as well as travel and other project spends that are not “mission critical.”

Nevertheless, the first source said, teams were already under pressure after major staffing reductions last year. “The mood is really gloomy,” the source said, with many employees expecting another round of cuts will happen in six to eight months.

“Trevor claims they’ve adopted cost-cutting measures since the last layoffs but they’ve hired externally for a bunch of roles, [executives] refused to take pay cuts, the org is way too top heavy as it is, and they’ve appeared to do little to nothing to revamp and revitalize fundraising efforts,” the source added.

The three sources told the Blade that Rajski and other leadership at the organization have blamed financial woes on the anti-LGBTQ political climate that has become ascendant in the U.S. over the past few years.

However, they said, the influx of bills targeting the rights of queer and trans youth, which has increased the number of crisis calls fielded by Trevor and other youth-serving organizations, would, presumably, lead to increased rather than decreased fundraising capabilities.

“Let me be clear,” the first source said. “There is ZERO confidence from ground floor level employees in the interim CEO Peggy Rajski.”

Rajski has “demonstrated a complete lack of care and consideration for Trevor staff since she took over after Amit’s departure,” she said, referring to Trevor’s former CEO Amit Paley, who left in November 2022.

Paley’s tenure was also fraught. For example, the second source described how in August 2022 Trevor employees lost health insurance coverage for mental health services and gender affirming care, which was subsequently restored after an outcry from Trevor workers who “were pissed” about the cost-cutting measure.

The first source, recalling the Blade’s story last summer, said that Rajski “has created a hostile, traumatic working environment,” and, referencing reporting in The Wrap, noted she had been accused of having an abrasive management style prior to her tenure at Trevor.

Employees have been made to feel they were “expendable,” the second source said.

As the Blade reported in August, Rajski reportedly objected to the negative feedback she had received during organization-wide meetings that allowed employees to share written comments or react with emojis.

The three sources said she has subsequently removed the functionality to share feedback with Google Meet, and instead began prerecording video messages that now constitute all-staff “meetings,” all while retaining management consulting firm KPMG to oversee the implementation of new values at the organization, which stress “heart, integrity, community, belonging, and progress.”

The videos largely consist of leadership congratulating themselves, according to the second source, who along with the first source noted that Trevor Board Chair Julian Moore — a partner at multinational law firm Allen & Overy — announced earlier this year that the search for Rajski’s replacement had begun.

After KPMG was brought in, the second source said, the environment became “sterile” and “it felt like the only important people on the team were those making six figures rather than people actually doing the work.”

“The crisis workers are the lowest paid people in the organization,” a source said, “which just baffles me because, you know, they’re doing the literal work of the mission of the org.”

The closest Rajski came to crediting the difficult work of those responsible for fielding crisis calls, the source said, was the refrain she has often repeated about how the organization must remember “what’s really important, the youth who we serve.”

On Jan. 5, Friends of Trevor United “took over Slack,” the workplace messaging app, “to seek accountability, demand transparency, and share frustration around Management’s delayed and undignified counter to our Union’s wage increase proposal for the organization’s performance review cycle.”

The union shared several examples of concerns relayed by workers:

  • “Not to sound like a broken record, but what IS our team’s plan to make C-Suite understand the urgency here? Every time they delay it hurts us all. How are our vertical leaders ensuring upper management faces the consequences of their bad-faith bargaining? I have been giving it my all and this is a slap in the face. It took six weeks for management to return a proposal on wage increases. This is beyond unacceptable and not something any of us deserve.”
  • “I am echoing a sentiment of deep disappointment and concern here. Six weeks really underscores an apparent disparity in accountability. I have heard many of our leaders say they are committed to this in their values. I would love to have a clear answer in the next 24 hours of how we are effectively communicating to upper management the urgency of addressing this issue. We have diligently contributed to this orgs mission throughout the year. We need to see management reciprocate with a genuine commitment to good faith bargaining.”
  • “Trevor, whoever you are, you need to prove you are trustworthy.”
  • “I see the responses here, and in #org-announcements… but I can only hope it has been made abundantly clear that this is a collective wound. A wound that is deepening in many of us the realization that our hard work, loyalty, and commitment is continually met with indifference… that all of our words are being minimized to the belief that the problem is “Management disagreeing with the union.”
  • Management’s empty-handed presence at the bargaining table, their responses in the channels we’ve been silenced from responding in… these things resonate as betrayal, as disrespect, and they’re dehumanizing. It is a blatant disregard for the sacrifices we’ve made throughout FY23. It is a painful reminder that our aspirations for fair treatment and recognition remain unfulfilled. For many of us, this stands as a stark symbol of shattered hopes… shattered hope for ourselves as workers, for the young queer kids we once were, for the young people who we are still here for. Silence, or half-hearted responses, are echoing louder than any words spoken.
  • For anyone genuinely listening, please understand that we are not merely seeking raises… we are yearning for the acknowledgement, the respect, and the fair treatment we all deserve.”

In conversations with the Blade, the three sources said they believe in Trevor’s mission and its work, no matter their feelings about management. They said they hope speaking out will lead to some necessary changes at the organization, whose lifeline for at-risk queer youth has never been more vital.

After publication, a spokesperson for the Trevor Project reached out with three corrections:

“The union was notified of the date in advance” of the layoffs.

“The article inaccurately says that our all staff meetings are ‘pre-recorded’ videos. Rather, we hold a monthly staff meeting via livestream format to share important updates from staff across all levels of the organization. We use this time to highlight staff contributions to the organization’s suicide prevention and intervention work, and the positive impact our organization makes on LGBTQ+ young people. This ensures that the space remains safe and productive for our entire community, and is a standard practice among large organizations with hundreds of remote employees.”

“While there was some confusion and dissatisfaction around some changes to our health insurance coverage, it was generally due to roll out communications, and therefore staff had some untrue assumptions/perceptions about coverage. Here is a high level of the staff health insurance benefits from that period, which we shared in an all-staff email on Aug 18, 2022:

  • The Trevor Project will cover 100% of premiums for ALL employee health insurance plans, including medical, vision, and dental
  • Mental health care is free for in-network, meaning there are no copays, even before the deductible is reached, for mental health services. Out-of-network benefits will remain consistent with this past year
  • All our plans cover gender-affirming surgery and care, including procedures like electrolysis, facial feminization, and pectoral implants
  • The Trevor Project will cover 50% of premiums for dependents
  • We have been able to extend the open enrollment period until Wednesday, Aug. 31″
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First Lady Jill Biden to keynote HRC’s 2024 Los Angeles Dinner

The First Lady will give the keynote address which will be held on Saturday, March 23 at the Fairmount Century Plaza

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First Lady Jill Biden delivers remarks and introduces President Joe Biden at the Human Rights Campaign National Dinner, Saturday, October 14, 2023, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, announced today that First Lady Jill Biden will give the keynote address at its annual Los Angeles dinner, which will be held on Saturday, March 23 at the Fairmount Century Plaza.

“It‘s always an honor and joy to welcome First Lady Jill Biden, a longtime champion for our youth and LGBTQ+ equality, to stand in community with the Human Rights Campaign. The Biden-Harris administration has been the most pro-LGBTQ+ administration in our nation’s history, but we know the work continues. We look forward to hearing from the First Lady on how we can all work together to combat anti-LGBTQ+ measures nationwide, ensure all people are free to be their authentic selves without fear, and protect our democracy,” said Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign.

As a lifelong educator, Dr. Biden has consistently championed making schools safer for students, including LGBTQ+ youth. She has spoken out vehemently against book bans, “the dangerous, cruel practice of conversion therapy,” and is committed to addressing youth homelessness, which disproportionately impacts LGBTQ+ young people.

The Biden Administration has consistently fought to advance equality-focused legislation and LGBTQ+ rights. Since taking office, Biden has lifted the blanket ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood, began enforcing non-discrimination laws to protect LGBTQ+ people, and signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law. The administration has also introduced protections for LGBTQ+ youth in foster care and brought attention to the need for increased protections for transgender youth. Last October, President Biden, along with the First Lady, gave the keynote address at HRC’s national dinner in Washington, D.C—the President’s fourth time keynoting the event.

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