Ellen DeGeneres to Receive Gay Teen Award

LOS ANGELES, CA -- Lesbian talk-show host and comedienne Ellen DeGeneres is being honored by The Trevor Project, a national group that operates a suicide prevention hotline for gay teenagers.

DeGeneres is being honored with the Trevor Life Award for her participation in the nationally televised Academy Award-winning short film Trevor. The comedienne provided the introduction to the film.

"In the most real sense, Ellen DeGeneres has been with us from the beginning when she graciously agreed to provide the introduction to the first nationally televised airing of the Academy Award®-winning short film Trevor and we are enormously proud to honor her with The Trevor Life Award during this our tenth anniversary year," said Charles Robbins, executive director of The Trevor Project.

"Her insightful, heartfelt and humorous words helped draw viewers to that initial broadcast, some of whom began calling The Trevor Helpline. Just as important, Ellen's groundbreaking career and her historic, extremely public, and truly courageous coming out process continue to inspire LGBT youth and demonstrate that their lives do have value."

"I'm truly honored to be this year's The Trevor Life Award recipient," said Ms. DeGeneres. "I've been connected to this amazing organization since it began in 1998 and I'm grateful that such an important support system exists for the many gay or questioning youth in crisis. Those of us who grew up without resources like these know how vital they are. I proudly accept this award on behalf of all the young men and women whose lives have been saved thanks to Trevor."

San Antonio-based Clear Channel, a global media and entertainment company, will receive The Trevor Hope Award.

"Clear Channel Communications is a shining example of what it means, from a corporate perspective, to be committed to LGBT causes," Robbins says. "Clear Channel's support of the community is multifaceted, including its ranking as a 'best place to work' for LGBT employees by the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index."

Both awards will be presented at The Trevor Project's 10th annual Cracked Xmas event, which will be held on Dec. 2 at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.

The Trevor Project is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization that staffs a free and confidential service through trained counselors for gay and questioning youth. The helpline number is 1-866-4.U.TREVOR, or visit them online at http://www.thetrevorproject.org/.