Happy October, Friend.

October is special, and we’re excited to honor the intersectionality of our LGBTQ community. We’ve been celebrating LGBTQ History Month all month long, and so much more, including Latinx & Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15) — a time to celebrate the diversity and vibrancy of Latinx history and culture.

❤️ The Trevor Project supports Latinx LGBTQ young people year-round by providing 24/7 crisis services, advocating for intersectional policy solutions, and amplifying their unique experiences through research and education.

🇲🇽 Last week, we committed to extending our resources and support even further with the announcement of The Trevor Project Mexico. TrevorText and TrevorChat services are now available to an estimated 745,000+ LGBTQ young people ages 13-24 in crisis in Mexico. We seek to reach and help all of them.

🏳️‍⚧️ Advocacy Alert: Trans Students Belong in Virginia

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Department of Education has released a proposed policy that would put transgender and non-binary students at risk for harm and discrimination. Schools that implement the policy would restrict restroom access for transgender and nonbinary students, require these students to jump through legal hoops just to be referred to by their pronouns, and require faculty and staff to “out” students to their parents. This is unacceptable and dangerous.

From now until Wednesday, October 26, the state will hear public comments on the proposed policies, and Equality Virginia and our partners are eager to make our voices heard. Let's send a message that hate does not belong in Virginia schools and tell LGBTQ students that they deserve the safety to thrive, wherever they are.

📊 LGBTQ Youth with Parents in the Military Report Higher Rates of Mental Health Challenges

In our latest research, LGBTQ youth with a parent currently in the military reported significantly higher rates of mental health challenges and suicide compared to their peers who do not have parents in the military.

The latest data illuminate the disproportionate challenges for youth with military connections, with trends in having such a connection falling along geographic and racial lines. LGBTQ youth living in the South reported higher rates of having an enlisted parent, and youth who are Native/Indigenous, Black, or Multiracial reported the highest rates of having an enlisted parent compared to other racial groups. The good news: LGBTQ youth with a parent currently in the military who reported high levels of family support had lower mental health challenges and suicide risk.

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