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AT&T Live Proud Winner Michelle David Shares Her Out100 Story

AT&T Live Proud celebrates LGBT community awareness, empowerment, and pride at this year’s Out100 Gala.

Over the summer, AT&T relaunched their annual Live Proud campaign, a program that celebrates awareness, empowerment and pride for the LGBT community. AT&T asked people to enter the AT&T "This Is Me" sweepstakes by creating a 15-second-or-less video that tells the world how they live proud every day. Four winners were selected and won two tickets each to the Out100 Gala in New York City. These are their stories.

Meet Michelle David:

What was the inspiration behind your video?

I have always been interested in research, and it has been a particularly big part of my life since I started school as an undergraduate. I have done research for classes, for several labs on campus, and for internships. I even use my researcher mindset in life outside of school and work. I live proud everyday as a researcher.

How did you find out about the contest?

I was doing a summer research internship in New York, and some of the other interns and I wanted to check out the PrideFest activities. I saw that the AT&T booth was giving away free t-shirts for people who made a video for the Live Proud contest. Although the contest prize sounded incredible, I never imagined I could actually win. I was just happy with the free t-shirt.

Where do you live and study?

I live in Pullman, WA, and I am a student at Washington State University. I am pursuing a double major in neuroscience and Spanish with a minor in computer science. I am also working in a lab on campus to test the effectiveness of educational games.

What were your first reactions when you learned you won the contest?

I was absolutely shocked! At first I thought someone was trying to scam me. I was waiting for them to say "Okay, now just give us your credit card information, ATM pin, and social security number." But once I saw that it was real, I was ecstatic. I actually jumped out of my chair!

What did you wear to the Out100? Describe your feelings the night of the party.

Deciding what to wear was tricky. I searched Google for pictures from the event last year, and it seemed like many people were wearing dark colors, so I decided to go with a black dress. The night of the party I felt a lot of anxious excitement. I had no idea what to expect beforehand, so that definitely made me feel nervous. After we arrived, most of the nervousness melted away and I just felt incredibly fortunate to be there.

Did you chat with anyone particularly interesting that night?

I got the chance to meet J. Alexander and we got to take a picture together. I've never met anyone famous before, so it was really exciting! I tried to be cool, but after I walked away my legs were shaking!

Do you think this year was especially important for the LGBT community? Why?

This was absolutely an important year for the LGBT community. The Supreme Court ruling that made same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states was an amazing and historic step toward equality. This ruling would not have happened without the voices of inspiring and influential people, such as those at the Out100 event.

Who did you bring with you?

I brought my sister, Danielle, with me.

If you could choose three words to describe the night, what would they be?

Inspiring, empowering, unforgettable.

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Tyler Oakley Kalen Allen AT&T The Trevor Project
AT&T

Watch Tyler Oakley & Kalen Allen in New Video Series for LGBTQ+ Youth

Watch the new series Anytime, Anywhere and exclusive BTS clips featuring Tyler Oakley and Kalen Allen. The series encourages LGBTQ+ youth to use the organization’s text and chat services powered by AT&T.

AT&T is celebrating their second year of a groundbreaking partnership with The Trevor Project, the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people. Since 1975, when they became one of the very first major American corporations to adopt a policy prohibiting discrimination against employees based on sexual orientation, AT&T has endured a commitment to the LGBTQ+ community. This year they look to Turn Up the Lovewith a campaign that celebrates LGBTQ+ people and promotes acceptance and allyship. Providing financial support, marketing support, and working to raise visibility of The Trevor Project at LGBTQ+ community events, AT&T's employees, proudcts and services listerally power The Trevor Project's life-saving mission.

The latest result of the dynamic partnership is an exclusive digital series, Anytime, Anywhere, starring none other than content creators and LGBTQ+ Advocates, Tyler Oakley and Kalen Allen. In this series, these advocates share their personal stories with feeling hopeless or alone during their youth.

Their stories give life to The Trevor Project's new TrevorText and TrevorChat services, powered by AT&T, which provide support for LGBTQ youth in crisis, and counselors who can tell them that they are loved, valued, and never alone. For the first time ever in the organization's 21-year history of saving young LGBTQ lives, these services are now available 24/7.

In April 2019, Tyley Oakley helped launch the partnership between AT&T and The Trevor Project with a special video announcement:

Tyler Oakley, who has a massive social media following of more than 23 million fans and over 7.5 million YouTube subscribers, connects directly with young people daily through content that resonates uniquely with them. "Moments of crisis are different for everyone, and I hope that by sharing mine, LGBTQ youth know there's no reason too big or small to reach out to The Trevor Project," shares Oakley in his video. "Asking for support isn't always easy -- it's important to meet LGBTQ young people where they are, with counselors who are trained to meet their unique needs, and on platforms they're comfortable using."

This Summer, Kalen Allen helps extend the impact of Anytime, Anywhere with a message of his own.

"There were times and places in my life where I didn't feel safe anywhere," says Kalen Allen, who works as a talent correspondent for The Ellen Degeneres Show. "Sometimes I felt like I was out of options. I wish the younger me would have had someone to talk to." He hopes that TrevorText and TrevorChat will save so many lives by reaching LGBTQ+ youth in rural areas where people in need of 24/7 support may not have the same resources or access as those in urban areas. With a simple text or chat message, a person in need of help will immediately be connected with a Trevor counselor who can provide confidential and safe support.

"Our work with The Trevor Project is especially meaningful to AT&T," says Valerie Vargas, SVP of advertising and creative services at AT&T. "We're proud to make millions of connections every day and those connections are never more important than in a time of need or crisis. As one of the first corporate allies of the LGBTQ community, providing resources and support -- whether it's through our technology or our dedicated employees -- to help save lives of LGBTQ young people is a crucial part of our mission."

AT&T also has provided major exposure around the fantastic work that The Trevor Project does through financial and marketing support and through visibility of The Trevor Project at LGBTQ+ community events such as their LOVELOUD Festival. Their employees are volunteers, and their products and services literally power The Trevor Project's TrevorText and TrevorChat. Usage of TrevorText and TrevorChat has increased three-fold since the launch of the campaign and the majority of youth (63%) who have used its services reported doing so because they felt like it was easier for them to communicate how they feel.

Click here to watch the full Anytime, Anywhere series, and find out more about AT&T and The Trevor Project's life-saving partnership at TurnUpTheLove.com.

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Out.com Editors