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It Gets Better Project

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It Gets Better
Formation2010
FoundersDan Savage and Terry Miller
Type501(c)(3)
HeadquartersLos Angeles, CA
Area served
Worldwide
CEO and Executive Director
Brian Wenke
Websitehttp://itgetsbetter.org
Formerly called
It Gets Better Project

It Gets Better is an Internet-based 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth around the globe.[1] It was founded in the United States by gay activist, author, media pundit, and journalist Dan Savage and his husband Terry Miller on September 21, 2010,[2] in response to the suicides of teenagers who were bullied because they were gay or because their peers suspected that they were gay. Its goal is to prevent suicide by having gay adults convey the message that these teens' lives will improve.[3][4] The project includes more than 50,000 entries from people of all sexual orientations,[5] including many celebrities;[6] the videos have received over 50 million views.

A book of essays from the project was released in March 2011.[7] The project was given the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Governor's Award at the 64th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for "strategically, creatively and powerfully utilizing the media to educate and inspire," according to the academy's chairman and CEO Bruce Rosenblum.[8]

Project history

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Then-U.S. President Barack Obama's video contribution to the It Gets Better Project (2010).

The It Gets Better Project was founded by Savage in response to the suicide of Billy Lucas and other teenagers who were bullied because they were gay or perceived to be, such as with Raymond Chase, Tyler Clementi, Ryan Halligan, Asher Brown, and Seth Walsh.[9][10] Reflecting on Lucas' suicide in his Savage Love column, Savage wrote, "I wish I could have talked to this kid for five minutes. I wish I could have told Billy that it gets better. I wish I could have told him that, however bad things were, however isolated and alone he was, it gets better."[11]

Former U.S. President Barack Obama lent his voice to the project and its anti-bullying message during its infancy. On October 21, 2010, Obama contributed his own video saying in part, "We've got to dispel this myth that bullying is just a normal rite of passage; that it's just some inevitable part of growing up. It's not. We have an obligation to ensure that our schools are safe for all of our kids. And for every young person out there you need to know that if you're in trouble, there are caring adults who can help."[6] President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama would later host an anti-bullying conference in March 2011.[12] Google Chrome backed the project as well, promoting its YouTube channel and airing a video ad for the project on television; that ad's first appearance came during a May 3, 2011 episode of Glee.[13]

Today, It Gets Better is the world's largest storytelling effort to empower LGBTQ+ youth.[14] Since 2022, It Gets Better has distributed more than $1 million to middle and high schools throughout the United States to fund projects that uplift and empower LGBTQ+ students.[15] In 2023, It Gets Better was the first of several LGBTQ+ nonprofits to leave Twitter/X, citing a surge of hate speech and misinformation targeting queer and trans youth.[16] In 2024, the organization dropped the Project from its name to reflect its "growth from a viral movement to a more comprehensive support system for queer youth." It is now known as It Gets Better.[17]

Book and television

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Further information: It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living

In March 2011, E. P. Dutton published It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living, a book of essays edited by Dan Savage and Terry Miller that reflect the same theme as the web video project. The book contains more than 100 essays,[18] either transcribed or expanded from the videos or original writings. Contributors include Jennifer Finney Boylan, Gregory Maguire, Meshell Ndegeocello, Michael Cunningham, Suze Orman, and David Sedaris. The book made the New York Times Best Seller list.[19]

Two 1-hour It Gets Better TV specials, which focused on the project's mission and conveyed messages of support, aired in 2012. Broadcast on MTV and simulcast on LGBT-oriented sister network Logo, the specials had premiere airings on February 21 and October 9, 2012.[20][21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "It Gets Better". It Gets Better. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  2. ^ Wyatt Buchanan (October 21, 2005). "Marriage can be right for us all, says Dan Savage. But let's not get carried away with monogamy". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 6, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  3. ^ Parker-Pope, Tara (September 22, 2010). "Showing Gay Teens a Happy Future". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Hartlaub, Peter (October 8, 2010). "Dan Savage overwhelmed by gay outreach's response". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
  5. ^ Noreen Fagan (February 8, 2011). "Dan Savage talks teens, straight people and It Gets Better". Xtra!. Archived from the original on August 14, 2011. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
  6. ^ a b "President Obama: It Gets Better". YouTube. October 21, 2010.
  7. ^ Furlan, Julia (March 22, 2011). "The 'It Gets Better Project' Turns the Spotlight on Anti-Gay Bullying". WNYC. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
  8. ^ ""It Gets Better" to Get Governors Award". Television Academy. August 22, 2012. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  9. ^ "GT Investigates – In This Issue". GayTimes. Archived from the original on November 14, 2010. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  10. ^ "In suicide's wake, a message to gay teens: Hang on; you are not alone". St. Petersburg Times; Tampabay.com. October 2, 2010. Archived from the original on October 5, 2010. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
  11. ^ Savage, Dan (September 23, 2010). "Give 'Em Hope". The Stranger. Archived from the original on October 6, 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
  12. ^ "Obamas Focus on Antibullying Efforts". The New York Times. March 11, 2011.
  13. ^ Parr, Ben (May 4, 2011). "Google Chrome Commercial Lets Gay Teens Know "It Gets Better"". Mashable. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  14. ^ "The It Gets Better Project: Empowering LGBTQ+ Youth Around the Globe". Grounds4Cause. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  15. ^ "It Gets Better Announces Year Three of Major Grants Initiative to Empower LGBTQ+ Students". Yahoo Finance. February 1, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  16. ^ "It Gets Better Steps Back From Twitter/X Over Hate Speech Concerns". www.advocate.com. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  17. ^ "It Gets Better Project changes its name". www.advocate.com. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  18. ^ "Dan Savage: For Gay Teens, Life 'Gets Better'". NPR. March 23, 2011.
  19. ^ Schuessler, Jennifer (April 10, 2011). "Hardcover Nonfiction". The New York Times.
  20. ^ "It Gets Better Special To Premiere On MTV, Logo," from MTV.com, 2/1/2012 (accessed 2/9/2021)
  21. ^ "Second It Gets Better Special Full Episode". It Gets Better. Archived from the original on September 23, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017.

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to It Gets Better Project.
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