Neil Patrick Harris and Dustin Lance Black Join Trevor Project's Board

A national group dedicated to preventing gay teen suicide has added two Hollywood luminaries to its board: actor Neil Patrick Harris and Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, both openly gay.

The Trevor Project, a non-profit group that focuses on crisis management and suicide prevention for GLBT youth, announced in a press release that Harris and Black had been elected to its Board of Directors. Black penned the Oscar-winning screenplay for Milk, the Gus Van Sant-directed biopic of the slain civil rights leader and politician Harvey Milk; Harris, who stars in the long-running comedy How I Met Your Mother, also has producing and directing credits on his resume.

"Because Dustin Lance Black and Neil Patrick Harris have already demonstrated their tireless commitment to LGBTQ youth and The Trevor Project, we are thrilled to welcome them to our leadership team," the group's executive director, Charles Robbins, said. "As prominent members of the entertainment community, they will certainly help raise awareness about The Trevor Project's programs and their insight will be invaluable as we work to empower young people with the crisis intervention skills and suicide prevention resources they need."

Black, who was the recipient last year of the group's Trevor Hero Award, said, "All of the work we're doing today to win LGBT equality is for these young people's futures. So it is vital that we ensure they survive today's challenges so they might know tomorrow's freedoms." Added Black, "I'm honored to have the opportunity to continue and expand my involvement with this lifesaving organization as a member of the Board of Directors."

Harris was also recognized by the group last year, having been awarded The Trevor Life Award. "I've been a longtime supporter of The Trevor Project, and I'm excited to become even more actively involved in raising awareness of its unique and vital mission," the openly gay actor said. "I hope that my involvement with The Trevor Project will help bring attention to the need for effective crisis and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth nationwide."

The group's Board of Directors includes 30 people drawn from a cross-section of professions.

"Every day, The Trevor Project saves young lives through its free and confidential helpline, in-school workshops, educational materials, online resources and advocacy," the press release said. "The organization was founded in 1998 by three filmmakers whose film, 'Trevor,' a comedy/drama about a gay teenager who attempts suicide, received the 1994 Academy Award(R) for Best Short Film (Live Action)."