Daniel Radcliffe joins LGBTQ youth in new Trevor Project roundtable series

With the help of acclaimed actor Daniel Radcliffe, LGBTQ youth organization The Trevor Project(Opens in a new tab) elevates the perspectives of trans and non-binary youth amid a national conversation about their identities and rights.

On March 31 – recognized as Transgender Day of Visibility – the new video series “Sharing Space” starts.(Opens in a new tab) aims to provide a platform for LGBTQ youth to discuss issues affecting their lives, with the support of a guest presenter. The first episode is hosted by Radcliffe, who talks to six transgender and non-binary young people about their experiences, feeling gender euphoric, self-discovery and what it means to be a true trans ally.

“There are some people in this world who aren’t trying to participate in this conversation in good faith,” Radcliffe tells the group. “I think a lot of times it’s just because people don’t know a young trans person, so they just have this theoretical idea in their heads.”

“Even if you think you don’t know anyone who is queer or trans,” replies one of the roundtable speakers, “eventually you will.”

The actor has a long history with The Trevor Project, the leading organization for suicide prevention and crisis intervention for young LGBTQ people. Radcliffe was honored with a Trevor Hero Award in 2011 and later starred in one 2012 PSA(Opens in a new tab) through the free services of The Trevor Project. Since then, Radcliffe has continued to participate in LGBTQ advocacy, and has done so spoke out against the rising transphobia in his industry(Opens in a new tab)including inflammatory statements by Harry Potter author JK Rowling.

In 2020, Radcliffe posted an open letter on the Trevor Project website(Opens in a new tab) In response to Rowling’s anti-trans comments, he wrote, “Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and contradicts all advice from healthcare professional bodies, who have far more expertise on the subject than either [Rowling] or I.”

The Sharing Space series launches at a time when anti-LGBTQ legislation is gaining traction across the country. The The American Civil Liberties Union is currently prosecuting 435 anti-LGBTQ laws(Opens in a new tab) in the US, many of which specifically target transgender and gender-nonconforming youth. On March 29th Kentucky made laws(Opens in a new tab) one of the most restrictive pieces of legislation ever proposed.

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According to a January poll by The Trevor Project, 86 percent of transgender and non-binary youth said debates over anti-trans laws had taken place negatively impacted their mental health(Opens in a new tab). Of those surveyed, 45 percent said they were increasingly exposed to cyberbullying, and a third said they no longer felt safe when seeking medical help when sick or injured. Researchers and advocacy groups like The Trevor Project have shown that Transgender and non-binary youth are at disproportionately high risk of suicide(Opens in a new tab) and poor mental health due to anti-trans abuse they experience.

Last month, the organization also launched the Learning with Love video series.(Opens in a new tab)which invited young trans people to share their journeys to acceptance with family members who had complicated reactions to coming out.

“It has been an absolute privilege to meet and listen to this incredible group of young people,” Radcliffe said in an official statement for the new series. “At the end of the day, when you’re talking about trans kids, it might be useful to actually listen to trans kids.”

“Sharing Space” seeks to convey a more positive understanding of the trans experience, explains The Trevor Project.

“LGBTQ youth, particularly transgender and non-binary youth, are routinely forced to stand by and watch as adults debate their existence and life experiences,” wrote Megan Stowe, vice president of brand and content at The Trevor Project, in the announcement of the series. “Our society has created boxes into which young people are supposed to fit, while we should give them the space and autonomy to find out for themselves who they are.”

Watch the first episode in full The Trevor Project YouTube channel(Opens in a new tab)and tune in to new episodes throughout the year featuring different topics, presenters, and roundtable members.

If you are having thoughts of suicide or are going through a mental crisis, please speak to someone. You can reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988; the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860; or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text “START” to the crisis text line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET, or by email [email protected]. If you don’t like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat at crisischat.org(Opens in a new tab). Here is a List of international sources(Opens in a new tab).