For LGBTQ+ Youth

You may be carrying extra fear right now — fear of being outed, fear of losing support, fear that who you are makes this worse. Those fears are real, but you are not trapped. And you deserve the same help everyone else gets.

more likely to self-harm after sextortion vs. non-LGBTQ+ peers

28%

of LGBTQ+ sextortion victims report self-harm

The extra weight you're carrying

Sextortion is devastating for everyone, but LGBTQ+ young people face specific additional pressures that make it harder to ask for help:

Fear of being outed

If the images or conversations reveal your sexual orientation or gender identity — and you haven't shared that with everyone in your life yet — the threat feels existential, not just embarrassing. Scammers know this and may specifically weaponize it.

Here's what you need to know: You get to control your coming-out story. A scammer sharing something does not take that away from you. And the people who matter in your life will care more about your safety than about anything a criminal sends them.

Smaller offline support networks

Research shows that LGBTQ+ youth are less likely to have a robust offline support system — which is exactly what sextortion exploits. If you don't feel safe going to family, you still have options: trusted teachers, school counselors, LGBTQ+ specific crisis lines, and online communities that understand what you're going through.

Worry that this "proves" something negative about being LGBTQ+

It doesn't. Being extorted has nothing to do with your identity. Straight people get sextorted at massive rates too. This is about criminals exploiting vulnerability, not about who you are or who you love.

Resources that get it

The Trevor Project

Crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ young people. Call 1-866-488-7386, text START to 678-678, or chat at thetrevorproject.org. Available 24/7. They understand sextortion and won't judge you.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988. For LGBTQ+ specific support, press 3 after calling to be connected with a counselor trained in LGBTQ+ issues.

Crisis Text Line

Text HELLO to 741741. Free, confidential, 24/7. You can share as much or as little as you want.

GLBT National Help Center

Call 1-888-843-4564 for peer support. Not a crisis line — this is for talking through what you're dealing with at your own pace.

What to do right now

The same steps apply to everyone

Everything on our main action plan applies to you. Don't pay. Screenshot everything. Block and report. Tell someone you trust. The only difference is choosing who to tell first — and you get to make that choice based on who feels safest.

If you're worried about being outed

Talk to a counselor first. The Trevor Project, your school counselor, or a therapist can help you plan the best approach before you involve parents or others. These conversations are confidential.
You don't have to disclose everything. You can report sextortion to law enforcement without sharing your sexual orientation or gender identity. The crime is the extortion — the content of the images is secondary.
If you need to tell a parent: Our conversation scripts can be adapted. You can focus on "someone is threatening me online" without going into the specific content if you're not ready.
If the scammer threatens to out you: Remember that outing someone against their will is increasingly recognized as a form of harassment. And the scammer is still committing a crime regardless of the content.

If images or conversations were shared

Use Take It Down (under 18) or StopNCII (18+) to remove content from platforms.
Under the TAKE IT DOWN Act, platforms must remove non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours.
See our full image removal guide for step-by-step instructions.

💪 You are not defined by this moment

Your identity is yours. Your story is yours. A criminal does not get to write either one. Thousands of LGBTQ+ young people have survived sextortion and gone on to live full, open, proud lives. You will too.