Paul Feig Donates $300K to Support Queer Youth Amid Trump-Era Attacks: ‘I Won’t Stay Silent’

Director Paul Feig and his wife, Laurie, have donated $300,000 to three LGBTQ youth organizations: The Trevor Project, Trans Lifeline, and It Gets Better.

Feig, known for films like Bridesmaids and A Simple Favor, says he can’t stay silent as LGBTQ rights, especially for transgender people, are being taken away.

“In recent weeks we have witnessed the dismantling of crucial protections for the health and safety of the LGBTQ+ community and, particularly, the transgender community,” Feig said. “I can’t sit idly by and watch as my friends, colleagues and the LGBTQ+ community as a whole — our fellow citizens — are stripped of their rights.”

The donations come after reports that the Trump administration is removing transgender troops from the U.S. military and erasing mentions of trans people from government websites and policies.

The organizations receiving Feig’s donations support LGBTQ youth in crisis. The Trevor Project offers suicide prevention services, Trans Lifeline provides emotional and financial support to trans people, and It Gets Better uplifts LGBTQ youth through storytelling.

Myles Markham from Trans Lifeline said, “Support and generosity for our community from powerful storytellers like Paul couldn’t be more timely or valuable.”

Kevin Wong from The Trevor Project added, “Our research estimates that every 45 seconds, at least one LGBTQ+ young person in the U.S. attempts suicide. This gift will bolster our crisis counselors’ ability to support the increase in young people who are reaching out with fears about how the current barrage of negative political news will impact their lives.”

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