"Hunger Games" Star Josh Hutcherson Launches Campaign To Help Rural LGBT People Connect
Hunger Games star Josh Hutcherson is a talented young man who's already done a lot for the LGBT community, but he's taking it one step further with a new campaign aimed at helping queer people in rural areas connect with others with donated computers, smartphones and other devices.
This week, the Teen Choice Award winner launched Human I-T’s "PowerOn" campaign, donating his own laptop.
“It’s awesome to know that it’ll be used to help a young person out there who, before this campaign, wasn’t able to get access to information and resources that could really help them," Hutcherson said.
Also joining "Power On" are the Trevor Project and Hutcherson's own Straight But Not Narrow campaign, which encourages heterosexual youth to be allies to gays and lesbians.
Donated devices will be refurbished and redistributed across communities with poor access to technology.
“For young LGBTQ people, it may not be easy to find others like them nearby, said Trevor Project CEO Abbe Land. “At The Trevor Project, we know that connecting to a community can lead to support and friendships, as well as reduce the risk for suicide attempts and other high-risk behaviors.”
Hutcherson was awarded GLAAD's Vanguard Award for his activism in 2012, and awarded a Nick HALO Award to trans youth activist Zachary Kerr.
Over the weekend, Hutcherson hosted a celebrity-studded charity basketball game, benefiting Straight But Not Narrow.
