I had heard about the “It Gets Better Project” on TV and was thrilled that it was doing so much good. It was started by advice columnist and radio storyteller (this American Life) Dan Savage and his partner Terry in response to the shocking number of suicides of LGBT youngsters. Thanks to the internet, we have new ways to talk to each other. The website allows anyone to post a video about their personal life experiences as well as make a pledge. The pledge is to let youngsters know that…it gets better.
Below the couple explains why they started the site…
The site states:
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.
Though I am not gay I can relate to some of what these brave GLBT youths go through. I was a geeky, nerdy, artist type when I was in school and was teased, called named and bullied, especially junior high. I was the dork who talked cartoons and animation and other things that were not cool (like they are now š )at the time. I know that bullying can hurt and does not always go away as fast as we would like and can linger into adulthood AND I know that my life got better as I got older. I can tell you, 30 years old and beyond is fantastic!
I am also a teacher, and I want all the kids I work with to have happy and healthy lives no matter how they identify themselves.
On twitter I had seen a link to a comic by Lucy Knisley who talks about the theme in her own life. Check out the comic here: http://comics.lucyknisley.com/2010/11/it-gets-better-3/
But even cooler is that Lucy made a motion comic version of the comic to post on the official site. It’s simple and very effective.
I have pledged to let my young friends and students know that life does get better beyond the formidable times in our youths.
