The Oscar helped bring visibility to the short, of course. But it wasn't until 1998 that things took another turn. Stone, a savvy producer, had persuaded the cable network HBO to air "Trevor." And as the airing approached, it quickly dawned on Stone, Rajski, Lecesne, HBO executives and pretty much everybody else involved that the film might connect intensely with gay or questioning kids sitting at home. There might be a need for a phone number for them to call. So everyone went looking for a national service for these teenagers and found that such a service did not exist.