Michael Mendillo, the director of corporate partnerships at The Trevor Project.“The NFL has truly been one of our more steadfast partners in this space and it’s really been a groundbreaking, mutually beneficial partnership between Trevor and a leading sports association,” Mendillo told Metro Weekly.“This really goes beyond just financial support,” added Mendillo, “because this really is a loud and proud partnership with Trevor, which raises awareness for the state of LGBTQ mental health.”Mendillo said The Trevor Project has worked with other sports associations, including the National Hockey League, and was one of the leaders in encouraging the NHL to reverse its ban on Pride Tape and other personal expressions of support for LGBTQ inclusion.To mark partnership, the two organizations have cross-posted images and statements on their respective Instagram pages. The images include statistics compiled by Trevor’s various surveys and research projects.A post shared by NFL (@nfl)For instance, according to the organization, 18% — nearly 1 in 5 young LGBTQ athletes — have heard anti-LGBTQ rhetoric from a sports leader or coach.Additionally, only 4% of young LGBTQ athletes said they would talk to a sports leader or coach if they were having a hard time or were feeling sad, stressed, or depressed.The linked images also include quotes from NFL veteran Carl Nassib, the first out gay man to make a 53-man roster and play in an official regular-season NFL game; Kevin Maxen, the strength and conditioning coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who recently became the first out gay male NFL coach; and Jonathan Beane, the senior vice president and chief data officer at the NFL.“It’s been so inspiring to work with The Trevor Project to support LGBTQ youth mental health, and it’s amazing to see the NFL continue their commitment to inclusivity in sports,” Nassib said in a statement.
