I'm sure most of us recall a time in high school where we felt somewhat alone, harrassed for being different, or afraid of what it meant to be homosexual, bisexual, or transgender. I personally experienced it beginning in grade school and onwards. Some people don't believe that and say small children don't know what "gay" is or implies. Well they do recognize something different and use it. I definitely know it only gets worse in high school, during awkward years of puberty mixed with a more common understanding of what homosexuality really is. Gay columnist, Dan Savage, has started a really moving project called "It Gets Better." It's a compilation of videos right on YouTube of queers with lives, families, careers, and futures. It's a big flag hoisted to young teens feeling lost to say, "Hey! Look at me. I've been there. Look where I am now! It. gets. better." You can go to Dan's site and read more about what he has to say for the project and how it can you can gay it forward. As Dan posted, Harvey Milk always said, "You gotta' give 'em hope."

As the mother who sent me this video told me, "My son is my son. His being gay doesn't change that. If anything it makes me MORE appreciative and proud of him." Beautiful words. I know we don't all get to hear that from our mothers. But someone does and that's beautiful. For her son and for all the others teenagers out there wondering if tomorrow is worth it, we have to let them know, "It Gets Better."


Over and Out,
CampusQueer