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Tag: The Trevor Project

  • Rachael Sage & the Sequins Release Powerful New Single “Nexus” Ahead of New Album

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    All Proceeds Will Support The Trevor Project in Honor of Hate Crime Victim Nex Benedict


    NEW YORK, October 20, 2025 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Donating all the proceeds to LGBTQ+ mental health and suicide prevention charity The Trevor Project, activist singer-songwriter Rachael Sage and her longtime band The Sequins have released their powerful new single “Nexus” from their upcoming studio album Canopy, out October 24 via MPress Records.

    A heartfelt tribute to Benedict and their family, the song is Sage’s sobering response to the tragic story of Nex Benedict who passed away after being beaten by school peers for being nonbinary. “Nexus” is equally a timely, universal anthem underlining the critical importance of inclusivity and empathy. Sage shows we can all be a part of this mission, singing: “I wanna make this tide of torturousness mean something/If any good can come from desperately gathering/We can lift each other up with our resolve instead of doing nothing.”

    Listen to “Nexus” HERE
    Stream/Download “Nexus” HERE
    Preorder Canopy HERE

    Sage discusses the song, saying: “I wrote ‘Nexus’ almost immediately after reading about nonbinary student Nex Benedict, and the tragic story of their death after being violently beaten by their school peers,” shares Sage on the inspiration for the song. “The horror of learning about the cruelty and violence to which they were subjected – and how the local community and their school did nothing to stop it from happening even when they had the opportunity – struck a very deep and personal chord as my first bandmate took his own life rather than come out to his parents. All I could think of when this song fell out was the unimaginable suffering of Nex’s family, long after the headlines faded. The song recounts something very tragic, but I also felt it was crucial to draw some hope out of how we can come together. Fear and silence are best combatted by standing together and doing our best to show solidarity. By raising our voices collectively against hate, we can shift the cultural tide for the better. This song is about mourning, survival and transformation – and how in dark times we need and must be there to lift each other up, all the more.”

    Rachael Sage & The Sequins continue to bring their inclusive musical message from their upcoming album Canopy to major cities across the county before they head for extensive tours of the UK. Featuring recently released single “Belong To You” as well as fan favorites “Canopy,” “Just Enough,” “The Best Version,” and “Live It Up,” Canopy is a masterclass in radical self-acceptance. Determined to find light in the darkest places, Canopy, produced by Sage with Grammy® nominee Mikhail Pivovarov and mixed by Pivovarov and Grammy® winning producer Andy, Canopy will be released digitally worldwide on Oct 24. A special limited-edition 40-panel hardcover book CD package – featuring Sage’s original artwork – as well as an orange colored vinyl edition, will be released on November 14th and is available for preorder now via MPress Records.

    ABOUT RACHAEL SAGE:
    Since founding her own label MPress Records, NYC-based folk-pop artist Rachael Sage has steadily released a slew of vibrant, dynamic albums. She has toured with an eclectic list of artists including Rufus Wainwright, Ani DiFranco, Beth Hart, Howard Jones, and Grammy® winners Shawn Colvin and Judy Collins – with whom she also recorded a critically-acclaimed duet of Neil Young’s “Helpless.” In addition to being a six-time Independent Music Award-winning musician and producer, Sage is also a John Lennon Contest Grand Prize winner who has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, SXSW, and toured globally from Japan to Berlin. Sage is also a visual artist and former ballet dancer who performed with the New York City Ballet. A self-described “cancer thriver,” she is a philanthropic advocate who has raised money for a wide range of causes, including Foundation For Women’s Cancer, WHY Hunger, American Refugee Committee/Alight, National Network For Youth (NN4Y), The Trevor Project, and Rainbow Mind (UK).

    Tour Dates
    (please see rachaelsage.com for all ongoing US and UK tour dates)

    Oct 16

    04 Center – Austin, TX **

    Oct 17

    Mucky Duck – Houston, TX **

    Oct 19

    Colony Woodstock – Woodstock, NY ^^^

    Oct 23

    The Cutting Room – New York, NY ALBUM RELEASE SHOW

    Oct 24

    Towne Crier – Beacon, NY ^^

    Oct 28

    Union Chapel – London, UK %

    Oct 29

    Worcester Cathedral – Worcester, UK &

    Oct 30

    Warwick Arts Centre – Coventry, UK %

    Oct 31

    Derby Cathedral – Derby, UK &

    Nov 13

    City Winery – Boston, MA ##

    Nov 17

    Wyvern Theatre – Swindon, UK *

    Nov 19

    William Aston Hall – Wrexham, UK *

    Nov 22

    Grove Theatre – Dunstable, UK *

    Nov 23

    Baths Hall – Scunthorpe, UK *

    Nov 24

    Orchard West – Dartford, UK *

    Nov 27

    Royal Hippodrome Theatre – Eastbourne, UK *

    Dec 01

    Festival Theatre – Malvern, UK *

    Dec 05

    Memorial Theatre – Frome, UK *

    Dec 06

    Granville Theatre – Ramsgate, UK *

    Dec 11

    The Factory Underground – Norwalk, CT

    with:
    ** Willy Porter
    ^^^ Annalyse & Ryan, Ginger Winn
    ^^Analyse & Ryan
    % Toyah Willcox
    & Rebecca Ferguson
    ## Hannah Judson
    *The Overtones

    Suggested Post
    Rachael Sage & The Sequins have released a powerful single “Nexus,” ahead of her forthcoming album Canopy. The song is a vital call for the importance of inclusion and acceptance. Listen now https://youtu.be/CQPY14PVX7Y

    For more information and interview requests, please contact:
    US:Jill Richmond-Johnson, MPress Records | jillr@mpressrecords.com
    James Steers, Press Here | james@pressherepublicity.com
    UK: Cat Hockley, Fifth Element PR | cat@fifthelement.biz

    Source: MPress Records

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  • Mental health among LGBTQ youth is worsening, report finds

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    A two-year study by the Trevor Project shows a stark jump in young LGBTQ people reporting symptoms of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black joins to discuss the findings.

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  • Trevor Project Ousts CEO Who Played A Role In The Opioid Crisis

    Trevor Project Ousts CEO Who Played A Role In The Opioid Crisis

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    Amit Paley, the embattled CEO of The Trevor Project, was removed from the helm of the LGBTQ suicide prevention organization this month by the group’s board of directors following widespread staff backlash against his leadership, the organization confirmed.

    Paley’s exit, first reported by Teen Vogue, comes a few months after HuffPost revealed that Paley had worked with Purdue Pharma, the notorious OxyContin maker, while he was employed by the global consulting firm McKinsey & Company.

    Around the time of HuffPost’s revelations, Trevor Project staff had been criticizing Paley’s vision for the organization, saying his focus on growth was compromising the quality of counseling that the organization offers to LGBTQ youth in crisis.

    “Many members of our staff have raised concerns about workplace well-being, professional development, prioritization performance metrics, and resourcing compensation — particularly as they impact our BIPOC, transgender, nonbinary, and disabled team members,” The Trevor Project said in a statement to HuffPost. “While a comprehensive, independent review of The Trevor Project is being conducted, the Board of Directors elected to make a change in leadership.”

    At the time of Paley’s work with Purdue Pharma — 2016 and 2017 — the opioid epidemic was claiming tens of thousands of lives every year, and Purdue Pharma’s reputation was in free fall. HuffPost discovered that Paley was part of a McKinsey team that helped Purdue build a 10-year strategic plan to boost the sales of opioids and other Purdue products.

    Paley also helped McKinsey compete to handle data analysis for Purdue and compete for a separate project that involved resuscitating Purdue’s collapsing public reputation.

    In 2017, Paley left McKinsey to lead The Trevor Project. His role on McKinsey’s Purdue account remained a secret until this summer, when McKinsey published more than a decade’s worth of documents from its work with Purdue as part of a $573 million settlement over McKinsey’s role in the opioid crisis.

    “If I knew then what I know now, I would not have agreed to do any consulting for that company, and I regret that I did,” Paley said in a statement to HuffPost this summer. Gina Muñoz, the chair of the board, said the board had “full confidence in Amit as CEO of The Trevor Project and stands firmly behind him.”

    But the details of Paley’s work for Purdue reportedly rocked The Trevor Project staff. The group’s own research has found a link between prescription drug abuse and an increase in suicide risk among LGBTQ youth. Teen Vogue reported that, in the wake of HuffPost’s story, many staffers believed Paley should resign.

    Already, many staffers were distressed by Paley’s vision for The Trevor Project: a focus on rapidly scaling up its LGBTQ counseling services, which the staffers claimed was coming at the expense of quality.

    In the lead up to Paley’s exit, more than 200 Trevor Project staffers signed a letter complaining about the breakneck growth.

    Paley did not respond to a request for comment. Co-founder Peggy Rajski will reportedly serve as interim CEO, with assistance from Muñoz. Paley and a spokesperson for The Trevor Project did not respond to a request for comment.

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  • Daniel Radcliffe defends speaking out against J.K. Rowling’s controversial comments

    Daniel Radcliffe defends speaking out against J.K. Rowling’s controversial comments

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    Actor Daniel Radcliffe has opened up about why, back in 2020, he chose to speak out against the transphobic comments made by “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling. 

    In an interview published Tuesday in Indiewire, Radcliffe — who starred as the titular character in the eight film adaptations of Rowling’s best-selling books — explained that “the reason” he “felt very, very much as though I needed to say something when I did was because, particularly since finishing ‘Potter,’ I’ve met so many queer and trans kids and young people who had a huge amount of identification with Potter on that. And so seeing them hurt on that day I was like, I wanted them to know that not everybody in the franchise felt that way. And that was really important.”

    In June 2020, Radcliffe posted an open letter on the website of LGBTQ youth nonprofit The Trevor Project. The letter was published after Rowling commented on an opinion article in which she took issue with the phrase “people who menstruate.”

    Rowling posted a link to the article on Twitter with the caption: “‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”

    Her tweet sparked widespread criticism and outrage. Radcliffe’s fellow “Harry Potter” stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint also spoke out against Rowling’s comments. 

    In his open letter at the time, Radcliffe said he felt “compelled to say something at this moment.”

    “Transgender women are women,” Radcliffe wrote in the letter. “Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.”

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