The Trevor Project Announces Recipients of Its Annual Life and Hope Awards

    LOS ANGELES, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The Trevor Project, the non-profit
 organization that operates the nation's only around-the-clock suicide
 prevention helpline for gay and questioning youth, today announced the
 recipients of its annual honorary awards. Marc Cherry, the creator and
 executive producer of the hit ABC television series, Desperate Housewives,
 will receive The Trevor Life Award; LPI Media Inc. (LPI), the publishers of
 The Advocate, Out and The Out Traveler magazines, will receive The Trevor Hope
 Award.  Both awards will be presented at The Trevor Project's eighth annual
 Cracked Xmas event, which will be held on December 4, 2005 at The Wiltern LG
 in Los Angeles.
     The Trevor Life Award honors an individual who through his or her example,
 support, volunteerism and/or occupation, is an inspiration to gay and
 questioning youth.  The Trevor Hope Award honors a company or organization
 that, through its policies, initiatives and other efforts, demonstrates a
 commitment to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) causes and is a
 prominent, public example of corporate acceptance of individuals regardless of
 sexual orientation.  Past recipients of The Trevor Life Award are Debra
 Messing and Megan Mullally (2004), Rosie O'Donnell (2003), and Armistead
 Maupin (2002).  The prior recipient of The Trevor Hope Award, which was first
 presented in 2004, is Wells Fargo.
     "Given the strong, positive gay sensibility in his body of work and his
 visible example as a successful, out role model for gay youth across the
 country, we're thrilled to be honoring Marc Cherry with this year's Trevor
 Life Award," said Jorge Valencia, executive director of The Trevor Project.
 "In addition, Marc's important personal contribution helping to underwrite the
 short film Trevor, the inspiration for The Trevor Project, allows us to
 further our mission of curbing suicide among gay and questioning teens."
     "I am enormously pleased to receive The Trevor Life Award," said Marc
 Cherry.  "Shockingly, suicide is one of the top three killers of young people.
 The Trevor Project's work is especially critical because gay and questioning
 youth are three times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual
 peers.  I wish The Trevor Project had been around when I was growing up and
 had troubled friends."
     "Through its groundbreaking and widely read publications, LPI has provided
 unprecedented support and acceptance of the LGBT community in general and
 youth in particular and they are, indeed, a worthy recipient of The Trevor
 Hope Award," said Mr. Valencia.  "By proudly, unapologetically and regularly
 publishing positive gay stories, LPI helps The Trevor Project and its
 volunteers convince gay youth that their lives have real value and that help
 exists for the issues and struggles they face.  Moreover, LPI has been an
 important and constant supporter of Trevor and Cracked Xmas from the
 organization's inception."
     "Every day, The Trevor Project saves lives through its helpline, its
 website and the educational materials it provides to educators and parents
 and, consequently, we are gratified to receive The Trevor Hope Award," said
 Judy Wieder, corporate editorial director of LPI Media, Inc.  "We hope that
 our support of this worthy organization will inspire others to become involved
 so that it can further raise its visibility and expand its services and
 outreach to meet the overwhelming need of our nation's youth."
     In 1998, The Trevor Project held its first annual Cracked Xmas fundraising
 gala in order to keep The Trevor Helpline open and available to gay and
 questioning youth.  Now an annual event, Cracked Xmas brings together top
 entertainers to raise the financial resources necessary to fund the
 organization's services.
 
     About The Trevor Project
     The Trevor Project is a non-profit organization that operates the only
 nationwide, around-the-clock suicide prevention helpline for gay and
 questioning youth.  The Trevor Helpline, 866.4.U.TREVOR, is a free and
 confidential service that offers hope through its trained counselors.  In
 addition to the helpline, the organization's website provides information on
 identifying and assisting potentially suicidal youth and "Dear Trevor", a
 confidential resource where youth can ask questions about sexual orientation
 and identity issues.  The Trevor Project also provides lifesaving guidance and
 vital resources to educators and parents.  The organization was founded by
 three filmmakers whose film, Trevor, about a teenager who attempts suicide
 after realizing that he might be gay, received the 1994 Academy Award(R) for
 Best Short Film (Live Action).
     For more information about The Trevor Project, visit
 www.TheTrevorProject.org.  The Trevor Project is a 501(c)(3) organization.
 
     About LPI Media, Inc.
     LPI Media, Inc. is the nation's leading publisher targeting the gay and
 lesbian community, distributing more than eight million copies of its
 magazines each year.  Its titles include The Advocate, the community's
 newsmagazine of record since 1967; Out, the popular lifestyle magazine that
 celebrates the spirit of gay culture, including fashion and style, trends,
 society, and the arts; The Out Traveler, the nation's only magazine that
 presents the entire travel experience from a gay perspective; Alyson
 Publications, the oldest gay and lesbian book-publishing company in America;
 and Advocate Books, an imprint of Alyson.  LPI Media's Internet properties
 include Advocate.com, Out.com, OutTraveler.com, and HIVPlus.com.
 
 

SOURCE  The Trevor Project