Many LGBT youth can't picture what their lives might be like as openly gay adults. They can't imagine a future for themselves. So let's show them what our lives are like, let's show them what the future may hold in store for them.
First the Giants, then the Cubs, and now the Red Sox:
"We are proud of dedicated Red Sox fans like 12-year-old Sam Maden who have taken the courageous step of publicly standing up against bullying of LGBT youth," said Susan Goodenow, Senior Vice President/Public Affairs and Marketing for the Red Sox, in a statement. "The Red Sox have frequently done PSA videos, or public service announcement videos, on important social issues. We are currently producing an “It Gets Better” video to support the It Gets Better campaign to stop bullying of LGBT youth and teen suicides. We hope that when it is released it will both reflect our continued commitment to be active participants in the community and help advance the efforts of Sam and others to stop bullying. Our team stands for respect and inclusion — there is no place for discrimination or acts of hatred in Red Sox Nation."
And for the record: I think it's great that MLB teams are jumping in and participating in the "It Gets Better" Project. It's amazing and it's going to make a huge difference. But for me and Terry—and for many of the LGBT kids we've heard from since launching the project—the most important IGB videos are still the ones created by average, everyday, ordinary LGBT adults. Videos created by politicians, corporations, pop stars, and sports teams are hugely valuable; they let LGBT kids know that the adult world is filled with straight people who are on their side. These videos let isolated, bullied, and abused LGBT kids know that mainstream Americans—unlike their peers, preachers, teachers, and, all too often, their own parents—are pro-gay, pro-tolerance, and welcoming. That huge. (Not all LGBT kids are bulled, abused, and isolated, I want to emphasize, but the IGBP was designed to reach out to those that are.)
But the heart and soul of the project are still the videos created by ordinary LGBT adults—people you haven't heard of—telling their stories, offering advice, sharing their coping strategies, and, in the comments threads and via their YouTube accounts, offering many LGBT kids something they've never had before: the ear of a sympathetic adult who understands exactly what they're going through.
Don't get me wrong: I'm thrilled by the participation of the Giants, the Red Sox, and the Cubs. (I'm ecstatic about the participation of the Cubbies!) But I don't want the excitement about each new high-profile IGB contribution to obscure the real heroes of the IGB movement: the tens of thousands of average, ordinary LGBT people out there—LGBT people of all ages, races, faiths, and backgrounds—who are reaching out and speaking to LGBT kids.
This post by It Gets Better co-founder Dan Savage originally appeared on The Stranger's SLOG.
Everyone deserves to be respected for who they are. I pledge to spread this message to my friends, family and neighbors. I'll speak up against hate and intolerance whenever I see it, at school and at work. I'll provide hope for lesbian, gay, bi, trans and other bullied teens by letting them know that "It Gets Better."
Dear friend, Let me start by telling you that I love you. No, I don't know you at all. I might have passed you at the mall or caught a glimpse of you driving down the road, but chances are you live far away from me, in another state or even in another country. I love you just the same. Even though we are distant, we are not so different, you and I. This is a picture of me when I was a teen. You can tell by looking at me that I felt different, unhappy. You see, like you, I have felt intense pain. I've even had fleeting moments when I wanted to commit suicide myself. I suspect that's something that everyone thinks about at one time or another, if they're honest with themselves. I know that sometimes, pain can become so heavy to carry around that you might just think killing yourself is the only respite from how bad you feel. But don't do it. This is why.
I'm glad I was bullied. There, I've said it. I've broken the politically correct cardinal rule; yes, Lady Gaga is gagging right now. Now, I didn't enjoy it at the time. I was terrified, of course. I cried at night. I spent days in actual terror. I was young, blond, white, and wearing green Dolphins shorts, leg warmers, and a lovely chiffon dance top with a leotard to an predominately minority inner-city school. ...So why am I happy about it? Because I'm me. You see, I like being me. It's been a blessed life.
Almost six years ago, I witnessed one of the more touching moments between a father and daughter. It just happened to be between Ella Robinson and her gay father, who also happened to be Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church. After presenting her father with an award at our Family Equality Council dinner, the bishop, with tears streaming down his face, said the one thing that is singularly true for every parent I know: "Being Ella's father has been the best and most important job I have ever had."
Just remember: you are unique. There's only one of you. If you ever worry that you are different, just think how boring it would be if we were all the same! You will take pride in expressing your individuality. You'll march in parades. You will fly the flag of pride. You'll witness states and countries around the world embrace change and embrace equality. You'll do your bit. You'll be part of it. You may even marry and start a family someday. They are your choices. You lost nothing.https://secure.itgetsbetter.org//cms/index.php?S=414eb0afa11a4cf8b8c0a0c11c237b5555689f0b&C=publish&M=entry_form&weblog_id=4
Broadway performer John Carroll (Women on the Verger of a Nervous Breakdown, Follies) recalls being relentlessly tormented by bullies as a kid and how he escaped and gained confidence by studying dance.
