For the most part, teenagers spend their high school years either struggling to fit in with the crowd or fending off the crowd because they failed to do so. No one is immune to the pressure--even the star athlete and prom queen are masking their own insecurities--but for LGBT youth, the consequences of not seeming "normal" are so much greater. If not accepted by the mainstream because of their sexual identity, many of them face brutal bullying by their peers. This is a fact, not an opinion. If you require proof, read up on 2010's rash of suicides committed by gay teens.
Billy Lucas was one of those teens. The 15-year-old suffered repeated harassment from fellow students who labeled him gay, and when the news of his suicide hit the media, advice columnist Dan Savage felt the need to convey to other gay teens that life will get better. He and his partner Terry posted a video on YouTube addressing all kids who may be targeted because of their sexual preference, which would soon become the seed of the national "It Gets Better" campaign. In a recent MTV.com interview with IGB's cofounder, Savage explained why he initially was compelled to post the message. "I was there when I was 15 years old," he said. "I contemplated suicide because I was queer."
It was only until Savage graduated high school and left the confines of his hometown that he found others with similar stories, and ultimately, relief from the pain and isolation. He and Terry couldn't help but wonder how many teens would be helped if they knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel.
It turned out that thousands of people shared the same thought. The video he and Terry posted went viral across the internet, spurring on thousands of others to create their own messages of hope (to date, more than 40,000 videos are posted online). "It suddenly made every kid's phone in the country into a gay youth support group," he said.
"It Gets Better" quickly became a widespread movement and vehicle for gays and straights alike to give struggling teenagers hope for their futures. Check out the video to hear Dan talk more about his quest to embrace and empower LGBT youth, and make sure to tune in to MTV's one-hour special, "It Gets Better," on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 11/10c to witness for yourself the power of those three words.
A great number of celebrities got involved with the "It Gets Better" campaign, especially after Perez Hilton made a particularly touching video. In this second interview clip, hear Dan talk about how important big-name support has been in spreading the message.
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