What is the It Gets Better Project?

About the It Gets Better Project

The It Gets Better Project was created to show young LGBT people the levels of happiness, potential, and positivity their lives will reach – if they can just get through their teen years. The It Gets Better Project wants to remind teenagers in the LGBT community that they are not alone — and it WILL get better.

Growing up isn’t easy. Many young people face daily tormenting and bullying, leading them to feel like they have nowhere to turn. This is especially true for LGBT kids and teens, who often hide their sexuality for fear of bullying. Without other openly gay adults and mentors in their lives, they can't imagine what their future may hold. In many instances, gay and lesbian adolescents are taunted — even tortured — simply for being themselves.

Justin Aaberg. Billy Lucas. Cody Barker. Asher Brown. Seth Walsh. Raymond Chase. Tyler Clementi. They were tragic examples of youth who could not believe that it does actually get better.

While many of these teens couldn’t see a positive future for themselves, we can. The It Gets Better Project was created to show young LGBT people the levels of happiness, potential, and positivity their lives will reach – if they can just get through their teen years. The It Gets Better Project wants to remind teenagers in the LGBT community that they are not alone — and it WILL get better.

What is the It Gets Better Project?

In September 2010, syndicated columnist and author Dan Savage created a YouTube video with his partner Terry Miller to inspire hope for young people facing harassment. In response to a number of students taking their own lives after being bullied in school, they wanted to create a personal way for supporters everywhere to tell LGBT youth that, yes, it does indeed get better.

More than a year later, the It Gets Better Project™ has turned into a worldwide movement, inspiring more than 30,000 user-created videos viewed more than 40 million times. To date, the project has received submissions from celebrities, organizations, activists, politicians and media personalities, including President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Adam Lambert, Anne Hathaway, Colin Farrell, Matthew Morrison of "Glee", Joe Jonas, Joel Madden, Ke$ha, Sarah Silverman, Tim Gunn, Ellen DeGeneres, Suze Orman, the staffs of The Gap, Google, Facebook, Pixar, the Broadway community, and many more. For us, every video changes a life. It doesn’t matter who makes it.

ItGetsBetter.org is a place where young people who are lesbian, gay, bi, or trans can see how love and happiness can be a reality in their future.  It’s a place where our straight allies can visit and support their friends and family members.  It’s a place where people can share their stories, take the It Gets Better Project pledge and watch videos of love and support.

On March 22, 2011, six months following the launch of the project, the It Gets Better Project book was released. The book , It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living is on-sale wherever books are sold.  It includes essays and new material from more than 100 contributors, including celebrities, religious leaders, politicians, parents, educators, youth just out of high school, and many more. For more details and to purchase the book, visit http://itgetsbetter.org/book.

Timeline

 

 

FEBRUARY 2012

  • February 1, 2012: MTV announces Dan Savage’s TV special It Gets Better, a one-hour documentary about LGBT youth, will air February 21.
  • February 7, 2012: The federal appeals court rules Proposition 8, the clause which states only marriage between a man and a woman is recognized in the state of California, unconstitutional.
  • February 11, 2012: White Collar’s Matt Bomer comes out during the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards, for which he won the New Generation Arts and Activism Award for his work in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
  • February 13, 2012: Governor Christine Gregoire signs legislation making Washington the seventh state to recognize gay marriage.
  • February 14, 2012: Oklahoma elects its first openly gay state senator, State Rep. Al McAffrey.
  • February 17, 2012: Gov. Martin O’Malley’s bill to legalize same-sex marriages wins approval in Maryland’s House of Delegates.
  • February 17, 2012: Ethos, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of the elderly, launches the Ethos Equality Fund, making it the first fund solely dedicated to supporting aging members of the LGBT community in the Boston area.
  • February 21, 2012: It Gets Better special airs on MTV and Logo.

 

JANUARY 2012

  • January 2, 2012: The Toronto Gay Hockey League makes an It Gets Better Project video.
  • January 3, 2012: A new law in Illinois, House Bill 3281, gives school boards the power to suspend or expel students who make explicit threats against peers or school employees online.
  • January 4, 2012: Arizona state senator, Kyrsten Sinema, pursues a U.S. House seat. If elected, she will be the first openly bisexual member of Congress.
  • January 5, 2012: GlaxoSmithKline makes an It Gets Better Project video.
  • January 18, 2012: GLSEN releases a report of student and teacher experiences with biased remarks and bullying in American grade schools, revealing a greater need for elementary schools to address issues of homophobia, gender expression, and family diversity.
  • January 19, 2012: Gay advocacy group, One Iowa, starts a new campaign to sway public opinion in favor of marriage equality.
  • January 19, 2012: Virginia Board of Juvenile Justice votes to include sexual orientation in discrimination protections.
  • January 20, 2012: Gov. Deval Patrick signs the Transgender Equal Rights Bill, making Massachusetts the 16th state to treat transgender people as a protected class.
  • January 21, 2012: Virginia Senator Adam Ebbin proposes a bill that will ban discrimination against same-sex adoption.
  • January 23-27, 2012: GSLEN’s No Name-Calling Week brings attention to name-calling in schools with educational activities and resource tools for teachers.
  • January 23, 2012: President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, appoints lesbian Carina Vance Marla to Cabinet as new Health Minister.
  • January 24, 2012: Lesbians Lorelai Kilker, a chemist who fought against workplace sex discrimination, and Col. Ginger Wallace, an Air Force intelligence officer who fought in Iraq, receive invitations to sit with First Lady Michelle Obama during the State of the Union address.
  • January 25, 2012: National Gay-Straight Alliances (GSA) Day celebrates the youth leadership organization’s efforts to educate school communities about homophobia and other oppressions and to fight discrimination, harassment, and violence in schools.

 

DECEMBER 2011

  • December 2, 2011: The It Gets Better Project, GLSEN and the Trevor Project honor the family of bullied teen Carl Walker Hoover in an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
  • December 6, 2011: The Obama administration pledges to prioritize LGBT equality in its foreign policy and directs other world agencies to help LGBT refugees.
  • December 6, 2011: In a speech to world leaders in Geneva, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton declares, “gay rights are human rights.
  • December 12, 2011: Petty Officer 2nd Class Jase Daniels returns to active duty following a dismissal in 2007 under the U.S. Military’s now-repealed Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy.
  • December 14, 2011: Best Buy’s District 34 and Geek Squad City’s PRIDE Employee Business Networks make an It Gets Better Project video.
  • December 19, 2011: Employees of Disney team up to film an It Gets Better Project video.
  • December 21, 2011: Petty Officer 2nd Class Marissa Gaeta and Petty Officer 3rd Class Citilalic Snell, are the first female couple to share their “first kiss” on the pier after Gaeta returned home from 80 days at sea.
  • December 22, 2011: The men and women of DreamWorks Animation create an It Gets Better Project video.

 

NOVEMBER 2011

  • November 3, 2011: President Obama honors National Adoption Month by declaring his support for LGBT adoptive parents.
  • November 5, 2011: The It Gets Better Project attends the Vegas Valley Book Festival.
  • November 8, 2011: Hillary Clinton names Ellen DeGeneres as a special envoy for global AIDS awareness.
  • November 18, 2011: House and Senate lawmakers reintroduce the Domestic Partnership Benefits & Obligations Act, which would allow the U.S. government to provide domestic partner benefits to federal employees in same-sex relationships.
  • November 20, 2011: 13th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, honoring those those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice.
  • November 21, 2011: O'Melveny & Myers makes an It Gets Better Project video.
  • November 22, 2011: Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players’ Association expand its non-discrimination employment policy to include protections based on sexual orientation.
  • November 28, 2011: The first openly gay US legisltator to be elected, Barney Frank, resigns after 32 years in office.

 

OCTOBER 2011

  • October, 2011: National Bullying Prevention Month
  • October 4, 2011: The cast of "Dirty Girl" makes an It Gets Better Project video.
  • October 5, 2011: The staff of San Francisco interactive children's science museum, The Exploratorium makes an It Gets Better Project video.
  • October 10, 2011: The Men of The Stacks Calendar, a collection of photos of librarians, is released. All proceeds benefit the It Gets Better Project.
  • October 11, 2011: National Coming Out Day, a day of celebration and acceptance for LGBT people everywhere.
  • October 11, 2011: Frank Kamney, grandfather of the LGBT rights movement and co-founder of the Mattachine Society, dies at the age of 86. 
  • October 20, 2011: Millions of people wear purple on Spirit Day as a sign of support for LGBT youth and to speak out against bullying.
  • October 25, 2011: Miss Vermont 2011 makes an It Gets Better Project video.  

 

SEPTEMBER 2011

  • September 1, 2011: New Jersey passes “The Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights,” the nation’s toughest anti-bullying law to date.
  • September 7, 2011: The Department of Health & Human Services unveils a new policy to enhance hospital visitation rights for same-sex couples.
  • September 20, 2011: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is officially repealed.
  • September 20, 2011: A young soldier comes out to his father in an emotional It Gets Better Project video on the day DADT is repealed.

 

AUGUST 2011

  • August, 2011: Campus Pride awards 33 schools (including UCLA, Dartmouth, and MIT) the highest ratings possible for institutions of higher education on its Campus Climate Index.
  • August 3, 2011: Washington University of St. Louis School of Medicine makes an It Gets Better Project video.
  • August 5, 2011: Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick makes an It Gets Better Project video.
  • August 5, 2011: Nancy VanReece, a member of the Nashville GLBT Chamber of Commerce, makes an It Gets Better Project video.
  • August 8, 2011: Rise Against is nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Video With a Message for their song “Make it Stop (September’s Children).”
  • August 11, 2011: Seattle's Mariners, Seahawks, Sounders and Storm come together to make an It Gets Better Project video.
  • August 16, 2011: Nokia Employees make an It Gets Better Project video.
  • August 17, 2011: Soccer players from D.C. United make an It Gets Better Project video.
  • August 21, 2011: Multnomah County Board of Commissioners make an It Gets Better Project video.
  • August 24, 2011: Staples employees make an It Gets Better Project video.
  • August 29, 2011: The Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays make It Gets Better Project videos.
  • August 30, 2011: The staff of the U.S. Dept. of the Interior makes an It Gets Better Project video.

 

JULY 2011

  • July 1, 2011: Boston Red Sox make an It Gets Better Project video.
  • July 13, 2011: Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy signs into law, "An Act Concerning the Strengthening of School Bullying laws."
  • July 18,2011: U.S. Senate makes history by confirming the first gay man, J. Paul Oetken, to serve as a federal judge.
  • July 20, 2011: Stephen Colbert makes an It Gets Better Project video.
  • July 26, 2011: Harvard Graduate School of Education makes an It Gets Better Project video.
  • July 26, 2011: True Blood’s show creator Alan Ball along with cast members including Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgard, Janina Gavankar, Kristin Bauer and Rutina Wesley, record individual It Gets Better Project videos.
  • July 27, 2011: Baltimore Orioles make an It Gets Better Project video.
  • July 27, 2011: Massachusetts Congressman William Keating makes an It Gets Better Project video.

 

JUNE 2011

  • June 1, 2011: The San Francisco Giants become the first major professional sports team to contribute to the It Gets Better Project.
  • June 2, 2011: CA Assembly approves Seth's Law. Measure now moves to CA Senate. 
  • June 3, 2011 Chicago Cubs announce plans to make an It Gets Better Project video. 
  • June 4, 2011: Boston Red Sox announce plans to make an It Gets Better Project video. 
  • June 7, 2011: American Airlines LGBT employees group, GLEAM, makes an It Gets Better Project video.
  • June 9, 2011: First High School Transgender Prom Queen makes an It Gets Better Project video.
  • June 13, 2011: Dan Savage and the It Gets Better Project receive a Webby Award for Achievement.
  • June 16, 2011: The American Civil Liberties Union of Souther California Launches the Seth Walsh Project to Combat Bullying in California Schools.
  • June 16, 2011: Secretary of Education Arne Duncan issues warning advising school districts against attempting to shut down LGBT clubs and GSAs.
  • June 17, 2011: Dell employees make an It Gets Better Project video.
  • June 17, 2011: GM employees make an It Gets Better Project video.
  • June 20, 2011: Chicago Cubs make an It Gets Better Project video.
  • June 20, 2011: CBS employees make an It Gets Better Project video.
  • June 20, 2011: 24 Hour Fitness make an It Gets Better Project video.
  • June 21, 2011: Punk band Rise Against releases music video for "Make It Stop (September's Children)" in support of the It Gets Better Project.
  • June 22, 2011: CA State Senate approve Seth's Law, to tighten anti-bullying policies and create safe schools for all students.
  • June 24, 2011: Marriage Equality Act Passed by NY State Senate 33-29.
  • June 26, 2011: Dan Savage and Terry Miller are Grand Marshals of the 42nd Annual NYC Pride Parade.
  • June 29, 2011: Thirteen U.S. Democratic Senators make an It Gets Better Project video.
  • June 30, 2011: Ernst & Young employees make an It Gets Better Project video.

 

MAY 2011

  • May 2, 2011: Google Chrome releases the It Gets Better Project themed commercial.
  • May 8, 2011: Google Chrome It Gets Better Project video airs during NBA Playoffs.
  • May 12, 2011: Front Runners New York announces it will donate proceeds of the 30th Annual Pride Run to the It Gets Better Project.
  • May 17th, 2011: Terry Miller returns to his high school, Shadle Park High School in Spokane, WA, to speak about the It Gets Better Project. 
  • May 25, 2011: Old Navy announces a new line of Pride shirts in support of the It Gets Better Project.
  • May 26, 2011: Texas Legislature passes anti-bullying law.
  • May 28, 2011: The Yale Divinity School makes an It Gets Better Project video.

 

APRIL 2011

  • April 3, 2011: Beehive Books in Central Ohio holds an event to celebrates the release of the It Gets Better Book. 
  • April 14, 2011: Colgate University makes an It Gets Better video.
  • April 13, 2011: Named for Seth Walsh, California Assembly Education Committee passes Seth's Law, a bill to address school bullying and create safe environments for students. 
  • April 15, 2011: Apple employees make an It Gets Better video.
  • April 18, 2011: Dan Savage & Terry Miller announced as NYC Pride March Grand Marshals. 
  • April 27, 2011: California Senate passes bill requiring all state public schools to teach the history of the gay civil rights movement.

 

MARCH 2011

  • March 10, 2011: The White House holds the Conference on Bullying Prevention.
  • March 10, 2011: World Championship boxer Sergio Martinez makes an It Gets Better video.
  • March 17, 2011: Bayer Healthcare makes an It Gets Better video; the National Gay Pilots Association makes an It Gets Better video.
  • March 22, 2011: The It Gets Better book is released.
  • March 26, 2011: Brazos Bookstore, an independent bookstore in Houston, TX, holds an event to celebrate the release of the It Gets Better book.
  • March 29, 2011: Dan Savage and Terry Miller speak at Seattle Town Hall about the It Gets Better book.

 

FEBRUARY 2011

  • February 3, 2011: The North Carolina State University GLBT Center makes an It Gets Better video.
  • February 10-17, 2011: Derek Fabulous hosts an It Gets Better Lounge at New York Fashion Week, where those attending can make their own It Gets Better video.  Contributors include Keri Hilson, Kat DeLuna, Isaac Mizrahi, Alexis Bittar, Marisol Deluna, June Ambrose, Pieter & Myken Stewart, Roxanne Jones, Mike Ruiz, Amanda Hearst, Gabrielle Union, Judith Light,  Joanna Coles, Ann Shoket, and Miguel.
  • February 16, 2011: Solid Ground announces Dan Savage as keynote speaker at 11th Annual Building Community Luncheon on May 6, 2011; employees of fab.com make an It Gets Better video.
  • February 17, 2011: SUNY Geneseo makes an It Gets Better Video.
  • February 25, 2011: “Priscilla Queen of the Desert”, the Broadway musical, airs first broadcast television It Gets Better public service announcement.
  • February 28, 2011: Emory University president Jim Wagner makes an It Gets Beter video; The Vancouver Men’s Chorus makes an It Gets Better video.

 

JANUARY 2011

  • January  21-23, 2011: It Gets Better Project goes to Park City to promote the project at Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals. Slamdance Film Festival held an It Gets Better Project make your own video event.  
  • January 6, 2011: Employees of  Microsoft GLEAM make an It Gets Better video; employees of Eli Lilly and Co. make an It Gets Better video.
  • January 11, 2011: Employees of Yahoo! make an It Gets Better video.
  • January 15, 2011: Members of London’s theatre community make an It Gets Better video.
  • January 18, 2011: Utah Senator Ross Romero makes an It Gets Better video.
  • January 19, 2011: UCLA makes an It Gets Better video.
  • January 31, 2011: Dining Out for a Cause in Washington, DC donated 10% of their proceeds to the It Gets Better Project.

 

DECEMBER 2010

  • December 2, 2010: Rainbow Toastmasters of San Francisco holds fundraising event to benefit the It Gets Better Project, the Trevor Project and LYRIC. 
  • December 4, 2010: LGBT Community Center in New Orleans. LA held an It Gets Better Project make your own video event. All donations collected were given to the Trevor Project. 
  • December 13, 2010: GSA in Portland, ME held an It Gets Better Project make your own video event.

 

NOVEMBER 2010

  • November 3, 2010: Eleven in West Hollywood hosts an evening to support the It Gets Better Project and the Trevor Project. 
  • November 5, 2010: It Gets Better Project event at Soundbar in Lexington, KY raises over $10,000 for the Trevor Project.
  • November 15-23: Ohio State arranges for all students, faculty, staff and community members to make their own It Gets Better Project videos. 
  • November 18: Gender Rights Network and BGLAD at Boise State hold an It Gets Better Project anti-bullying rally, march and vigil.
  • November 19: Sponsored by Guava Lamp and Outsmart Magazine, Houston hold’s its first It Gets Better Project event to benefit the Trevor Project. 
  • November 22, 2010 :  Sponsored by Equality Spokane and Spotlight Lounge, anyone who wanted to could stop by and make their own It Gets Better Project video.
  • Thanksgiving Weekend 2010: It Gets Better Project Film Festival held in Houston, TX. The festival showcased LGBT themed films and concluded with a Gay Teen Awards Ceremony recognizing and honoring gay teens for their contribution to the community.

 

OCTOBER 2010

  • October 1, 2010: Cast of Wicked records a video for It Gets Better Project. 
  • October 3, 2010: Chicago, IL-Center on Halsted invited people to record their own videos for the It Gets Better Project.
  • October 4, 2010: Chris Colfer, Sarah Silverman, Kathy Griffin, Jenny McCarthy, Anne Hathaway, Rex Lee, Michael Chiklis, record videos for It Gets Better Project.
  • October 5, 2010: Ke$ha, Tim Gunn record videos for It Gets Better Project.
  • October 6, 2010: Zachary Quinto records a video for It Gets Better Project.
  • October 8, 2010: Initial website launched with the help of BlueStateDigital, first official grassroots fundraiser in Washington, DC attracts 500 people.
  • October 9, 2010: Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet record a video for It Gets Better Project.
  • October 10, 2010: Over 50 members of the Philadelphia community record messages of hope and support for LGBT youth, creating It Gets Better – Philly's Video.
  • October 11, 2010: Charlotte, NC – Local LGBT organizations and other community groups partner to present an It Gets Better candlelight vigil and concert in memory of LGBT young people who fell victim to anti-gay bullying.
  • October 12, 2010: Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns broadcasts his video for It Gets Better Project.
  • October 16, 2010: At Cure in New Orleans, cameras and microphones were set up for people to record their own It Gets Better Project videos. 
  • October 18, 2010: Dan Savage holds conversation with 500 Rutgers University students, Adam Lambert records a video for It Gets Better Project.
  • October 19, 2010: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Google employees record videos for It Gets Better Project.
  • October 20, 2010: It Gets Better Project achieves 10 million video views on YouTube, website 2.0 launch.
  • October 20, 2010: It Gets Better rally in Nova Scotia.
  • October 21, 2010: President Obama posts his video for It Gets Better Project. It Gets Better Project reaches 100,000 supporter mark.
  • October 24, 2010: Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles record a video for It Gets Better Project.
  • October 24, 2010: It Gets Better Benefit at Rocca in Boston. The private dining room was set up so anyone who's moved to do so can record their own reassuring messages to LGBT youth. 
  • October 25, 2010: Cal State Fullerton became part of the It Gets Better Project by holding an event in support of the recent teenage suicides by students who have been bullied because of their sexual orientation. Dressed in purple, students gathered next to the Pollak Library and were given the option to make a video or write on the wall provided to share their stories and words of encouragement. 
  • October 25 - 27, 2010: The Abbey in West Hollywood transformed into a studio where people could contribute their own It Gets Better videos. Donations as well as a raffle raised money to benefit the Trevor Project.
  • October 26, 2010: Facebook employees post It Gets Better Project video.
  • Oct. 27, 2010: In response to recent queer youth suicides, Ryerson University held an It Gets Better Project/Because We Make it Better event. 
  • October 28, 2010: Seattle, WA: Hivster.com, in conjunction with the It Gets Better Project, sponsored a Trevor Project fundraiser at Rosebud Restaurant & Bar.  People were given the opportunity to record and upload their own It Gets Better Project videos.

 

SEPTEMBER 2010

  • September 9, 2010: Billy Lucas of Greensberg, Indiana dies by suicide.
  • September 21, 2010: Dan Savage and his partner Terry Miller upload their first video on to an official YouTube channel; Perez Hilton records It Gets Better Project video.
  • September 22, 2010: Tyler Clementi from Rutgers University dies by suicide.
  • September 28, 2010: Lala and Ciara record a video for It Gets Better Project.
  • September 26, 2010: Castro Plaza in San Francisco, CA: Filmed an “It Gets Better” message with a large crowd – anyone who wanted to take part was allowed.

 

JULY 2010

  • July 9, 2010: Justin Aaberg of Anoka, Minnesota dies by suicide.

 

 


 

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