By Bichngoc Do on
Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe has lent a powerful voice to The Trevor Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining crisis support and suicide prevention amongst the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) teen community.
His commitment to this cause hits close to home: “It’s something I’ve always been quite passionate about. Because I grew up around gay men, it was always a natural thing to me.”
Taking to the camera to record a public service announcement, Radcliffe unveils alternative solutions to reckless suicide: “If you’re feeling helpless or hopeless, there’s always a safe place to turn.”
The organization offers a free and confidential prevention hotline – (866) 4-U-Trevor. “You can talk to someone 24 hours a day,” Radcliffe says. “There are about 160 people in total who work around the clock, and that number is obviously growing over time. It is an incredible thing.”
Founded in 1998, The Trevor Project was started by a group of filmmakers whose film, “Trevor,” won the 1994 Oscar for Best Short Film about a gay teenager attempting suicide. Now a nationwide leading outreach resource for at-risk LGBTQ teens, the organization’s trained counselors and prevention hotlines aim to save lives and foster comprehensive safe home and school environments for youths at risk.
In his public service announcement, the actor relays a principle message to his listeners, “Be proud of who you are.”
Watch the full PSA here.
Copyright © 2010 Look to the Stars
