[Rob]

Hi everyone,

As this post makes a number of accusations against TeenHelp, we feel it is fair to issue a response on behalf of the Project Co-ordinators to provide both sides.

Firstly we want to say a thank you for your contribution to the site, we will always be grateful for your hard work and dedication over years.

In an effort to be more transparent we would like to clarify a couple of points which have been misconstrued. It has been stated that we shut down or silenced individuals, this is not the case and we have invited those involved to speak to us, share their ideas and even lead on implementing them if they wish. There have also been a couple of comments which have been portrayed as coming from the Project Co-ordinators when these have in fact come from other members on the site and do not represent our views.

These concerns were brought to our attention only a few weeks ago and we are working hard to address them - we need the time to consider them fully. We have invited members to work with us so we can better understand what happened, seek views and explore solutions. We want to emphasize that no decision has been made yet and this post implies that ideas have already been rejected which is not the case. How we work is just as important as what we do. We are rooted in values and there is an expectation that everyone, especially staff, follows these and when these are not lived in practice, we will address this.

We are encouraged by the feedback we have received so far but we know there is still work to be done to make this site welcoming and inclusive. We want to create the best possible experience for you while using our services and we cannot do this without your involvement. We have a wide range of ways you can contribute include:

• Become a volunteer – TH was built on people working together on these things
• Suggestions
• Complaints process
• Feedback forms – Such as for our action plan, content or volunteers forms
• Surveys 1-2 times per year
• Speak to a Project Co-ordinator or Team Leader in the Forums or Chat Room

If you have ways to improve TeenHelp for our trans community, please take a look at this thread: http://www.teenhelp.org/forums/f8-lg...ans-community/

TeenHelp is here for YOU and we want you all to feel safe to express yourselves, so we would like to invite you to let us know if you have any ideas and suggestions for improvements. Let's help shape the future of TeenHelp together.

The Project Coordinators