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Stevenson club's cabaret to benefit LGBT suicide prevention charity

Concerned about suicide rates among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender teens and young adults, a Stevenson High School club is using music to bring attention to the problem.

The Lincolnshire school's Reflections club will host a musical cabaret Saturday night that will raise money for the Trevor Project, a nonprofit group providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for youth struggling with their gender or sexual identity.

Solo and duet performers will take the stage starting at 7 p.m. in the Lincolnshire school's intimate Studio Theatre.

About 20 acts are signed up. They'll perform pieces from musical theater, pop music and original compositions, Reflections club sponsor Lauren Rawitz said.

Admission is $5, with proceeds split evenly between the Trevor Project and the Reflections club.

According to data on the Trevor Project's website, Lesbian, gay and bisexual youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide as their straight peers. Likewise, young adults questioning their gender or sexual identity are three times more likely to try killing themselves.

"There's a lot of kids out there who are lost and have nowhere to turn," Rawitz said. "It's extremely important that they have someone to talk to and know that they're not alone."

That supportive message mirrors the mission of the Reflections club, which promotes having a positive body image and self-confidence.

"Reflections has definitely been a safe space for a lot of people in our community who needed it," said club President Megan Rivkin, a Stevenson senior.

Rawitz said she was impressed the club members took interest in the Trevor Project and organized the cabaret.

"It's about finding yourself, finding your identity," she said. "But more than that, accepting yourself so that you can accept others."

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