It Gets Better Project

     The It Gets Better Project was founded by Dan Savage and his husband Terry Miller.  The purpose of this project was to create an outlet for teenagers who have been bullied due to their homosexuality. Teenagers at times can feel helpless and lonely with these feelings and obstacles of discrimination they face with their family, peers, and possibly even teachers/coachers.  Due to the increase in suicides among gay teenagers in 2010, this couple reached out to the gay community and wanted to convey the message that “it does get better” to the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) youth.  Adults and other teenagers of the LGBT community video themselves and explain their story and journey which allows these teenagers to feel less alone and that there are other people in this world who have experienced similar hardships.
     These videos seek to inspire these youth that their life will not always be so tough and that there is hope out there to have happiness, acceptance, and potential positive environment as an openly homosexual in today’s society. The It Get Better Project has now accumulated over 50,000 personal videos and 50 million views among these videos.  Individuals who submit videos come from a wide range of members of our community which include: celebrities, organizations, activists, politicians, and media personalities.  This project has such a strong and powerful message and the fact that these videos are posted from such a wide range of members in our society empowers these youth to overcome and continue to strive for success regardless of these obstacles.  Seeing some of these people in prestigious and higher roles gives these teenagers the hope that they can still aspire to be anything they dream of. 
     When you first go onto the It Gets Better Project website: http://www.itgetsbetter.org , there is an option where you are able to take a pledge and join the movement of this project.  Joining the pledge spreads the message to eliminate discrimination and that respect should be given to everyone regardless of their differences.  When you commit this pledge you are committing to spread this message to others and that you will stand up and not tolerate any type of bullying or hate that you come in contact with.  Ultimately, you are pledging to provide hope for the LGBT youth and in that their future holds endless opportunities and that it will get better.  Today I took the pledge, and I hope anyone reading the blog will also join me and the other 553,926 individuals to commit to helping making our community better and more accepting place. 

Please take a moment to view this video because it really captures the obstacles LGBT youth face and the reason why this It Gets Better Project was created in the first place.

Reference:

It Gets Better Project. (2013, February 14). About the it gets better project. Retrieved from http://www.itgetsbetter.org/pages/about-it-gets-better-project/