The Trevor Project closes X account amid ‘increasing hate’ toward LGBTQ+ users

LGBTQ+ suicide-prevention organization The Trevor Project is ceasing activity on X, formerly known as Twitter, citing “increasing hate and vitriol targeting the LGBTQ+ community.”

The Trevor Project posted a statement about its move on X at noon EST on Thursday.

The nonprofit is keeping its X account public so it can still help those in need, but it won’t be “actively posting or engaging” on the platform anymore, said Kevin Wong, SVP of communications, marketing and content at The Trevor Project. 

“We do still want to be able to respond to [direct messages] from young people seeking support or LGTBQ+ youth looking for resources or crisis support. That’s still very important to us,” Wong said. 

Wong said disengaging on X was not a decision The Trevor Project made lightly. To weigh the pros and cons, the nonprofit conducted data analysis and spoke with internal and external stakeholders, as well as members of the LGBTQ+ community that had expressed concerns about the Elon Musk-owned social media site. 

“We’ve received [direct messages] from LGBTQ+ young people who say they’re afraid of responding or reposting some of our content because they don’t want to be attacked by folks for just engaging,” he said.

Hate speech has flourished on X since Musk bought the company one year ago, according to the Center for Countering Digital Hate. The CCDH in September said X fails to remove posts that contain hate speech despite being alerted that the content violates the platform’s current hateful conduct guidelines.

Last week, The Prager University Foundation, a conservative advocacy group, purchased a “takeover” ad on X to promote its polarizing film Detrans: The Dangers of Gender-Affirming Care. Craig Strazzeri, PragerU’s CMO, named Musk as part of the reason the nonprofit group advertised on X. 

In place of X, Wong said The Trevor Project is doubling down on social media platforms that have “more or improved moderation capabilities,” such as LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

X returned PRWeek’s request for comment with an automated response reading, “Busy now, please check back later.”

The Trevor Project's community of individuals, corporations, foundations and other entities raised nearly $67 million in 2022, according to the organization's latest annual report. Notable donors included actor Daniel Radcliffe, NFL player Carl Nassib and radio host Elvis Duran.