It Gets Better

I adore Dan Savage. Adore him. I used to read Savage Love regularly. The only reason I don't read it like I used to is because I used to read it in The Onion while I was on the bus. Now I pick up The Stranger from time to time--Savage Love's home newspaper. But, I can't find it on campus like I used to... I know I could read it online, but I don't.

Anyway, this post is about Dan Savage's column of September 23, 2010. The last letter is about a young man in Indiana who killed himself. Reports are that he was harassed for being gay. Savage goes on to say that he wishes he could have had five minutes with this kid--and other kids like him--so he could tell him that it gets better.

I had gay friends in high school and college. I was called a dyke many times while I was in college. I wasn't a dyke; I'm not gay. I would get pissed off about being called a dyke. Why? Because someone made an assumption based on how I looked, because I was different, and different was bad. They best way to insult someone who is different? I guess it's to attack their sexuality. But not only did I look different, I was friends with gay people, and of course that meant I was one of them. Or something.

As Savage said in his most recent column, Savage said that gays aren't allowed to talk to gay teens. They aren't allowed to tell them that it gets better. So Savage created a YouTube channel titled, "It Gets Better Project." Savage and his partner Terry created the first video.



I watched this earlier and it made me cry. It is so sincere. It is so touching. It is so honest. While this is aimed at homosexual teens and preteens, everyone should watch this. I wish I had seen it when I was a teen. I was different. I wasn't like others. It would've been nice to have someone tell me that it does get better.

Watch this video. Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Watch the other videos. Pass this along to others. Everyone should see these. Because it does get better.