A lot of us have either been personally affected by bullying or we know of someone that has. This issue, it seems, has always been a problem in the schools. Bullying happens to everyone but one particular group of kids that have been, and will continue to be bullyed until it ends, is the openly gay and lesbian youth. One organization that was established to help the youth prevail through their difficult times is the “It Gets Better Project”. This project was founded by Dan Savage just last month. According to their website, It Gets Better Project is so, “young people who are gay, lesbian, bi or transgendered can see with their own eyes how love and happiness can be a reality in their future.” The website allows people to upload their own personal videos to share stories and thoughts. With in the one month of existing, there have been several celebrities share his or her words for the youth. The latest star figure to make a video was President Obama. On Oct. 21, President Obama shared a video telling these kids that they are not alone. In the 3 min video President Obama stated that, “We’ve got to dispel this myth that bullying is just a normal rite of passage, that it’s some inevitable part of growing up. It’s not.” He also reassures the youth that they did not do anything wrong and that they are not alone. He reassures them that our nation was founded on the premise that all of us are created equal.
This organization has been up and running for only a month and it is already successful. The power to allow anyone to upload videos and share personal stories is great. I believe that one of things that make this successful is the celebrity spokespeople that put videos up. They stop caring so much in their popularity and start caring more about the young kids that need our help.
I think that the need for this organization has been long over due. To those families that have had a family member fallen due to bullying, know that their death has not been overlooked. Because of those young children that couldn’t push through any further, there will be a voice to help and make the LGBT youth feel a little less alone.
