Columns Sep 23, 2010 at 4:00 am

Give 'Em Hope

Comments

204
1.) TC, not only have you had a threesome with your boyfriend's friends...so has your boyfriend. Repeatedly. He will probably not be shocked or horrified by the revelation you, too, have had a threesome with them. If in fact he doesn't already know, he'll be intrigued at the very least and in all liklihood some time in the future I predict a fourgy with the you, the boyfriend, and your mutual pals.

2.) I'd rather masturbate to a liberal, thankyouverymuch. Jerks like Christine O'Donnell don't deserve our sexual energy. They don't deserve sexual satisfation at all.

3.) Dear bullied kids, gay and straight and undecided, it does get better. Your school years, especially middle school and high school, are the worst years of your life. I speak from personal experience. Ignoring the assholes does not make them go away; this causes things to escallate. Beating the living crap out of them, descretely of course, does. If a good old-fashioned beat down is not possible, try something more passive-aggressive and vicious like spreading gossip about bed-wetting or instigating fights between them and their cronies. Get really good grades. It doesn't matter how crap your public school is, find the library and lock yourself inside every free momment available. Hobbies and outside interest will not only expose you to a wider variety of people it will make you a more talented and interesting person. Graduate from high school and go to college. If you can't afford a University, go to community college and get some kind of certificate in a trade, so you can get a decent job and you can afford University in the future. Enjoy sex with college kids (with protection and birth control, of course). Meet all the people you wished you grew up with.

Dear Bullies, high school will be the best years of your life. Bwa, aha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Never again will you be popular or successful. You'll never be top dog again. You're opinion will never again be important to anyone...ever! From the end of high school onward it's all down hill. You're narrow mind and lack of imagination and your fear and hate of anything that isn't "normal", which is another word for mediocre and boring, will cause you to stagnate....which is appropriate since you're pond scum. Ta, losers, me and the rest of the queers are off to enjoy our success and your failures.
205
How about telling *all* kids that *it gets better* - lots of kids are harassed for everything from being a different color to having a different orientation and although LGBT kids may have it worse than many, suicide is permanent for everyone.
206
It never ceases to amaze me that no matter what nice thing you do, someone will find something to bitch about in it. This is a good thing Dan has done. Will it fix all the world's ills? No. But it's still a GOOD thing. So thank you, Dan, good job!
207
I posted this to my facebook. Dan - you and Terry have a wonderful family, and I am so happy for you. As a heterosexual female I can't quite relate to the sexuality bullying. But I certainly had my share of picked on-ness as I didn't go to school (homeschooled), wore thrift store clothes, spoke funny (english accent)... Kids can be cruel, but it does get better!
208
I love love love this project - reminds me of the fantastic book "100 Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks, and other Outlaws". Should be required reading in middle school...
209
I think this article requested a special day for Christine first... "National Jack-off for Christine O'Donnell (Jerk-off) Day - September 19th!" (from omg-sex.com, google it) but weeks of it I suppose is better...
210
I tried to jerk off to Christine O'Donnell but could not stop regurgitating small portions of my lunch repeatedly. Is this normal? I had a cry, took a long shower, cried again.... Nothing seems to help.

Sincerly,

Sad Insignificant Christine

211
People are mean to others for all kinds of reasons - and they pick up on the things we've all been told are "wrong" in order to keep their victims compliant. Society punishes gays, teachers and administrators are usually at best ambivalent about supporting gay students. So any teen with a hateful heart aligns themselves with authority and punishes gay teens.

Nothing will ever cure teen bullying, but this kind of bullying will get better when the people at the top of the school power structure get over themselves Resist kiss asses. Examine yourself for assumptions about others AND ABOUT YOURSELF that you are internalizing from authority figures. And realize the strongest defense against this bullying is a refusal to believe what they're telling you about yourself
212
Incredible! Your Paris story made me cry . . . happy tears :)
213
Great advice, Dan! I love your column!
214
Can we just gather all the Tea Party goons and Repigs together, stick 'em on a bus-to-nowhere, and shove 'em off a cliff?
215
GAY MORMONS need to watch the "MorMenLikeMe" channel on youtube. It contains interviews of gay Mormons who have survived. The interviewer is a cool honest RM (BYU graduate) with a lot of realistic wisdom for how to deal with intolerant or ignorant people, and how to separate Mormon culture from the gospel. His interviewees are down to earth, and talk about their own experiences and how they overcame. Once you are older, it is easier to call the shots. It does get better, much, much better.
216
Dan!
I'm listening to Savage Love 206, and... you don't know any gay guys that kiss girls when they're shitfaced?

My god, most of my gay friends kiss EVERYONE when they're shitfaced! Most of my straight friends kiss EVERYONE when they're shitfaced!

Haven't you ever just kissed someone and gone, hey, you got good technique, without needing to sleep with them? Or necessarily wanting to? Finding someone sexy, without feeling sexual towards them?

My social group is generally old enough to have fun doing things ironically, so when someone pull out a really nice bottle of cinnamon whisky, obviously you have to mouth shot from someone else. There was that time when a (oops) really drunk friend turned and gave his brother a cinnamon shot, and then there was that slow moment where they both stopped and pondered it for a moment, and the less drunk one pronounced it "Awk-ward" (but tasty).

My gay friends have ruefully declared that the friend group of cute young guys we know who kiss each other on the lips in greeting, are actually.. completely straight.
Basically, they're just from a different generation to us. They're happy to kiss the gay guys on the lips as harmless flirtation, but if any or most of them were really bi or gay, they'd be fucking someone already, because it's *completely socially acceptable* in their social group to be bi or gay.
Instead, it's just a way of showing intimacy in their group.
Well, same in our circles as well.
Oh, and they also kiss their female friends on the lips.

When people are completely comfortable with being bi or gay, they're also more comfortable with being straight and pan-flirty. And we're going to see that more and more.

Dan, do you have a skype number to call? I'm international!
217
Sangrail, that's fascinating. Your experience is totally foreign to me. I've never kissed anyone I'm not sexually attracted to, and can't imagine doing so -- drunk or sober. I'm gay and the only two women I ever kissed were when I thought I had no choice in grade school and thought I HAD to date women, but I had zero interest in doing so and tried to avoid it. I've only ever known one person who's behaved as you suggest, and he was generally wild in all respects, so that's interesting. FWIW, I'm in the USA (east and west coast major cities), and my usual crowd is 30s-40s, so maybe it's a cultural and generational difference you're seeing? Also, I don't really hang out with any big drinkers, just casual drinking with meals, so maybe that's part of it too? A serious partying crowd may behave differently from other people? But even in my bar-hopping and party days in my teens and 20s, I never saw such behavior.
218
re: Bullied Student Commits Suicide.

In my opinion... nobody gives a rat's ass about a some internet channel devoted to homophobia, or some video on FaceBook. Go out and have a car wash or bake sale... you're outcome will be the same... there will be no outcome. The ANSWER: go out and do what all good American's do... you file a civil law suit and sue the shit out of the school board, the school administration, then you subpoena and interview every teacher in the school, adding to the suit every teacher who knew, or had the vaguest indication that this student was being tortured by his classmates. After rounding-up every person in the school and administration, I would turn my focus on the real perpetrators, those students responsible for this hate crime.

To be even more precise, I would bankrupt this school system and vigorously pursue jail time for any and every professional educator and administrator who had even the slightest knowledge that "something" was going-on, but chose NOT to get involved.

When are you people going to figure it out; our country, our states, and our communities DON'T need more (useless) laws. We must enforce (to the fullest extent) the laws we already have in place.

I have no sympathy for any teacher, principal, school board member, or superintendent who fails to vigorously enforce the anti-bullying laws or hate crime legislation that already in place, or should be in place. Vicious bullying in middle and high school is old-news. Most teachers and administrators have already received training and should know how to deal with the little Nazi morons who harass and assault these poor kids.

Playing dumb (stupid); "I had no idea these kids were harassing him" has become the Nuremberg Defense of modern day bullying. It was a bullshit and unacceptable defense in post-war Germany, just as playing dumb/ignorant is bullshit and unacceptable today. If however, a teacher or administrator can prove their ignorance to the bullying, then they should be fired on the spot, and possibly sued for negligence.

You want these heinous crimes to stop; enforce the damn laws.

Respectfully submitted,
(a gay) 8th grade English teacher
219
I love your outrage JackDaddy. High five!
220
@218. I really do not agree with what you are saying. I feel that adults who work with children need to be more pro active in dealing with bullying. I still hear teachers tell victims that "boys will be boys" or blame the child who is being teased. It is in this culture that we send our children to school. This is what needs to change. We as parents, teachers, counselors, and concerned citizens need to man up and speak out for ALL the children in our communities. We need to teach adults and other children that this behavior will no longer be tolerated. And when we see a child being bullied, we need to speak up for them right then! Beacuse the next time we pick up a paper we may be looking at another school shooting or another child dead from suicide and have no one to blame but ourselves. We should ALL feel ashamed by this tradegy. And to the family, my thoughts and prayers are with you.
221
suing doesn't help!! in other words
222
you are an amazing man. it is people like you who perpetuate the last fragments of good left in this world and who give people the means the cling to these fragments. without this youtube channel, many kids (myself included) would have nowhere to turn to, no idea what to do, and nothing to have hope for.

hearing your inspiring message and seeing your beautiful family, i know that life will get better; the bad memories, alienation, self-hatred and shame will slowly fade away and be consumed by all the positives in my future.

thank you,
223
you are an amazing man. it is people like you who perpetuate the last fragments of good left in this world and who give people the means the cling to these fragments. without your 'it gets better' channel, many kids (myself included) would have nowhere to turn to, no idea what to do, and nothing to have hope for.

hearing your inspiring message and seeing your beautiful family, i know that life will get better; the bad memories, alienation, self-hatred and shame will slowly fade away and be consumed by all the positives in my future.

thank you,
224
@218
I really think it is the party scene thing. My roommate is a super clubby girl and she tells me that all the gay guys make out with girls for shits and giggles when they are all hammered. I am bi and have friends of all sexual/gender identities, but none of my friend's kiss people they are not attracted to.
225
Yeah, this ought to be in here somewhere:

http://www.ranker.com/list/top-10-anti-g…
226
justsayin, while I agree that we live in an all too happy to sue you society, with this kind of situation if suing is all that is going to get their attention then that's what needs to be done. If a lawsuit sets the precedence and makes them take action and enforce the rules for everyone then that's okay with me.

Doing nothing is so not working so lets do something even if it means filing a lawsuit.
227
Dear Dan,

Thank you for Project It Gets Better.

Please, if you're able, highlight the resources of Fenway Community Health's Peer Listening Line:
http://www.fenwayhealth.org/site/PageSer…

The Trevor Project: (866.4.U.TREVOR)
http://www.thetrevorproject.org/

And the Open and Affirming movement of the United Church of Christ:
http://www.ucccoalition.org
228
@220: Money talks and bullshit walks.
229
another gay youth, presumed dead by suicide.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09…

and a seriously messed up thing to do to your roommate.
230
I <3 this Dan and posted to FB! Yay! It gets better! Great job turning hate into something great!
231
Thank you for doing this Dan.

My girlfriend and I will definitely be participating in "it gets better", along with a slew of of our friends that we are rallying now!

There is a young lesbian, USC film school student named Becca Katz who has created a website called
http://www.IWantTheWorldToKnow.org

It is a video bank of folks telling their coming out stories so LGBT youth and isolated adults have access to other gay adults and the chance to hear their stories. Perhaps the two of you could link to each other's projects. Powerful together.

My girlfriend and I are out lesbian actors and gay advocates. We have both had features travelling the LGBT film festival circuit for the last 3 years, and another coming this year. We have found the internet to be a powerful connecting tool to be able to reach out to our LGBT community. We've created content and a community online to no one ever has to feel alone or isolated. It's good for us all to band together.

Thank you for doing this Dan. We will be participating and supporting.

Bravo -

Cathy DeBuono
232
Thank you for doing this Dan.

My girlfriend and I will definitely be participating in "it gets better", along with a slew of of our friends that we are rallying now!

There is a young lesbian, USC film school student named Becca Katz who has created a website called
http://www.IWantTheWorldToKnow.org

It is a video bank of folks telling their coming out stories so LGBT youth and isolated adults have access to other gay adults and the chance to hear their stories. Perhaps the two of you could link to each other's projects. Powerful together.

My girlfriend and I are out lesbian actors and gay advocates. We have both had features travelling the LGBT film festival circuit for the last 3 years, and another coming this year. We have found the internet to be a powerful connecting tool to be able to reach out to our LGBT community. We've created content and a community online to no one ever has to feel alone or isolated. It's good for us all to band together.

Thank you for doing this Dan. We will be participating and supporting.

Bravo -

Cathy DeBuono
233
Thank you!
234
I know this is incredibly superficial given the weight of the project, but my god, Dan, your man is fine. Not to say that you all aren't very cute. Ah, I see I'm not alone in my crush. Signed, Woman
235
Good work Dan, Thank you. We are all in this world. We're using the itgetsbetter videos on our 24 hour online bully stakeout on November 9, 2010. More information at http://bullyoutreachproject.com and on Facebook, or just get straight in touch with me. Hope you'll see value in our project, especially the online components. We'll be watching and sharing your information. Again. Thank you, and Blessings. Kelly Karius
236
As the parent of a gay teen I love this idea and thanks.
237
As the parent of a gay teen I love this idea. I too think they ought to be played in classrooms, something needs to be done.
238
are you serious ..what has the world come to ITS NOT RIGHT !!! WOMEN+MAN=LOVE SORRY THAT'S JUST HOW I FEEL ..ITS NOT RIGHT.. I DONT WANT ANYONE TO GO TO HELL ..I DONT WANT THAT TO HAPPEN TO THE LBGT..ITS JUST NOT RIGHT.. BUT YOU GUYS JUST WANN DO WHAT YOU WANT BUT JUST REMEBER THIS JOHN 3:16
239
Love your It Gets Better campaign and have always loved your column. It seems young LGBT teens need a Big Brother/Big Sister program, especially in the fly-over states.
240
bridge over troubled water, thank you
241
Thank you thank you thank you thank you, Dan. For reminding me that not everyone got the crazy support I did when I came out (20 yrs ago, at 15). Thanks for finding a place for hope in the face of effed-up, devastating news. Thank you. Ok. Off to make a video with my wife.
242
Hi Dan, I have always read your columns, which are a mix of advice and humor, I love the idea about "It gets better" However, and I am a 42 y/o gay man living in NYC, attending daily counseling meetings, because for me hasn’t got better. I don’t want to diminish this wonderful project, but what about if it doesn’t get better? what about if you are 40's and still get bully at the streets of NYC, what about within the same Gay community is as cruel and torturing as when I was in school, what about not having a boyfriend, or not social support? English is my second language so I hope this comment makes sense, but I would love to see something in the middle where it gets better but still we as human beings have to struggle with the day to day ups and downs of living as openly gay men. One has to protect ourselves from that hot muscle gay men next to you that will not even share the same space with you or be the recipient of a bitchy joke from a drag performer? I am just saying a balanced campaign can be nice. I have watched the videos several times and in a selfish way, I guess, I wish I found a husband or a nice group of friends that I share my life with, like in the videos, but I haven’t. After I watched them, I went out but the hedonistic- materialistic culture of the NYC/ SF gay life retrieve me back home, maybe I am just haven’t been lucky, I just wish that those kids don’t get their expectations to high to crash to a wall of a very demanding gay community, that's all.
243
Hi Dan, I have always read your columns, which are a mix of advice and humor, I love the idea about "It gets better" However, and I am a 42 y/o gay man living in NYC, attending daily counseling meetings, because for me hasn’t got better. I don’t want to diminish this wonderful project, but what about if it doesn’t get better? what about if you are 40's and still get bully at the streets of NYC, what about within the same Gay community is as cruel and torturing as when I was in school, what about not having a boyfriend, or not social support? English is my second language so I hope this comment makes sense, but I would love to see something in the middle where it gets better but still we as human beings have to struggle with the day to day ups and downs of living as openly gay men. One has to protect ourselves from that hot muscle gay men next to you that will not even share the same space with you or be the recipient of a bitchy joke from a drag performer? I am just saying a balanced campaign can be nice. I have watched the videos several times and in a selfish way, I guess, I wish I found a husband or a nice group of friends that I share my life with, like in the videos, but I haven’t. After I watched them, I went out but the hedonistic- materialistic culture of the NYC/ SF gay life retrieve me back home, maybe I am just haven’t been lucky, I just wish that those kids don’t get their expectations to high to crash to a wall of a very demanding gay community, that's all.
244
I am not gay and none of my kids are gay, so far as they know so far, the youngest is 13. But I feel so strongly that we are failing as a culture if we cannot love and value all of our children. Everyone feels different somehow, every one IS beautiful and unique, and these differences should be celebrated. It is not ok to try and make yourself feel right by trying to make someone else wrong.
Love is love, and other peoples love is none of my business.
If any teen is being teased in my town, tell them to come over to my place. I will make them hot chocolate, make up the spare bed, and then open up a fresh can of whup-ass for their tormentor.
245
Dan and Terry:

Bravo a thousand times over.

As a 63 year old gay man, my heart breaks every time I read about a gay young person's suicide.

It Get's Better is so heart warming.

A big pat on the back to you and these videos' submitters.

Michael J. Carlon, MD
Palm springs, CA
246
@186: I'm not in anyone's face. I got over it.
After 28 years out of high school, living in another county seems to help.

Dan--THANK YOU and BLESS YOU for yet more PURE GOLD!!! Stop the bullying everybody!
247
Great project, Dan! I just linked from my Facebook page.
248
My fiancé and I are both straight, but we were bullied as adolescents, and more than once accused of being gay (and my family thinks he is anyway, but that's a miserable family drama can of worms I care not to open here). I am also the survivor of an ill-conceived suicide attempt at age 13. We are both extremely supportive of our gay friends and family, including (but not limited to) his brother, my cousin, and our friend Andrew who will be our best man. I bless each and every heart that is beating with this project, as it's a beautiful thing to see this social networking thing being used for a greater good. When he comes home from South America, I want to make a Spanish-language video, because that is a population that is tremendously disparaged and shoved further into the closet. They need to know there are people who support them and will stand "siempre al lado"- always by their side. <3
249
You're absolutely right! and it was great that you published this blog.
Here's an excerpt from a NY Times article...which hits the nail on the head:

"...In a pair of blog postings last week, Dan Savage, a sex columnist based in Seattle, assigns the blame to negligent teachers and school administrators, bullying classmates and “hate groups that warp some young minds and torment others.”

“There are accomplices out there,” he wrote Saturday.

In an interview, Mr. Savage, who is gay, said he was particularly irate at religious leaders who used “antigay rhetoric.”

These are the people who are responsible for the hate, indifference, bullying, gross negligence that allows gays to be pushed to suicide.
The Federal Government (Justice Department) should be investigating each of these events as a denial of civil rights of the gay, lesbian, transgender persons.
HELLO??? JUSTICE DEPARTMENT???? WHERE ARE YOU???
YOU WERE ABLE TO INVESTIGATE THE LONG SERIES OF BLACK MURDERS AND DISCRIMINATION OVER THE YEARS.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE RIGHTS OF GAYS WHO ARE BEING BULLIED AND EVEN MURDERED?
WHAT HAPPENED TO FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS AND YOUR RECENT NEW DIRECTIVE TO LOOK INTO GAY HATE CRIMES?
250
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12…

JOIN THE MASTURBATE AGAINST CHRISTINE O'DONNELL GROUP HERE
251
Join Michael and Marisa in the "It Gets Better" campaign to STOP bullying. The sibling music duo urge their peers to stand up against bullying with their acoustic song "The Same." http://bit.ly/bwXTg0
252

Join Michael and Marisa in the "It Gets Better" campaign to STOP bullying. The sibling music duo urge their peers to stand up against bullying with their acoustic song "The Same." http://bit.ly/bwXTg0
253
Great project, I am sorry that there is no more room to post videos, but I did leave a comment under voncile67. I hope that anyone who reads it will be able to hang onto the belief that they will survive almost anything and that it does get better. I wish I had something like this when I was a younger person.
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#COUNTMEOUT - 2010 National Coming Out Day - Use Twitter/Facebook pics/statuses to raise awareness. http://scr.bi/d1m73e
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I love what you've done!
Here is my "It Gets Better" video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UH46lY25…
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I love what you do!
Here is my "It Gets Better" contribution
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UH46lY25…
257
I cried when I saw the videos on this posting. It is so moving and hopeful to see our community rally around its young people. It makes me feel like, while these deaths will never be justified, if it makes the world pay attention to this problem & give resource to these youth, at least they weren't in vain. We queers are a beautiful bunch and I'm so pleased to be one of you! :)
258
It gets better alright.... unless of course you grow up to be a fat and ugly gay man. Then it's just more of the same.
259
Dan I love what you're doing. I'm a straight woman, whose 15 years old niece recently told she is gay. It wasn't a surprise, I notice how she acted, how she dressed, how she interact with other people, and I was pretty sure she was gay. But my first thought was her safety, how can I protect her from all those other people that doesn't understand, and worst that doesn't accept their differences. It was looking information that I came across your youtube channel, it was a great experience, I instantly felt like is going to be alright, my niece is going to be alright. First of all because she have me, her father, and her stepmother, that accept her just the way she is. I know that a lot of others teenegers don't have that support, and I want them to know that they should be true to their self and look for their hapiness, eventually they will find that person who support them, just don't give up.
260
Maybe they should realize the world does not want people to be different, it is sad they feel the need to kill themselves and that is not acceptable but the gay thing is something that should be private. People don't want to know about gay people. Accept it.
261
I was bullied throughout the entirety of my school years and I didn't need to refer to some creepy support group of adults targeting questionably gay children. I suppose children are more gullible and easily coerced than any other demographic amirite?

I dealt with my problems by developing thick skin, using acquired experience and above all, refusing to give up, and not one of your pathetic groups is going to do any of that for a kid.

What you're doing is much more monstrous and cruel than what any of those bullies did, to be honest. You are robbing kids of the reality of life, putting them in a nice safe little bubble that will agonizingly erupt when they get into the real world. You cannot please everyone, and nothing in life is beautiful forever.

Oh yeah, and when someone commits suicide, it's an act of their own free will, and it wouldn't make much sense to sue a rope company because one of their ropes were used by a suicidal teen.

Think about it.
262
I was bullied throughout the entirety of my school years and I didn't need to refer to some creepy support group of adults targeting questionably gay children. I suppose children are more gullible and easily coerced than any other demographic amirite?

I dealt with my problems by developing thick skin, using acquired experience and above all, refusing to give up, and not one of your pathetic groups is going to do any of that for a kid.

What you're doing is much more monstrous and cruel than what any of those bullies did, to be honest. You are robbing kids of the reality of life, putting them in a nice safe little bubble that will agonizingly erupt when they get into the real world. You cannot please everyone, and nothing in life is beautiful forever.

Oh yeah, and when someone commits suicide, it's an act of their own free will, and it wouldn't make much sense to sue a rope company because one of their ropes were used by a suicidal teen.

Think about it.
263
Dan and Terry, you have done a wonderful, beautiful, inspiring thing with this project. I know you and the others who have posted here are helping young people who are struggling, and will continue to help them. It's even helpful to those of us going through hard times unrelated to sexuality when we are well past high school. The world is brighter because of this project. Thank you.
264
Join Michael and Marisa in the "It Gets Better" campaign to STOP bullying. The pre-teen sibling music duo share and urge their peers to stand up against bullying with their acoustic song "The Same."

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-500234
265
I love the masturbation idea - but don't think I could get it up for Christine. Thanks so very much for your video. So far I have the most hits and thumbs up for my comment. Wow.
266
Oh my gosh.. I loved your video Dan and Terry.. It speaks volumes.. It really, truly DOES get better.. (P.S I totally fell in lust with Terry when he face-palms about his cheesy pick up line LOL)
267
this project is beautiful. One other thought (and I SO hope you see this!) is that a significant number of kids who are being abused---physically and sexually-- attempt and may complete suicide as well.

Can we please tell kids who are being sexually abused to hang in there too please? Ask them to come read the pages for kids who are being sexually abused at JustTell.org a new nonprofit which encourages sexually abused kids to tell an adult they trust about what's happening.

Peace
Vivian Farmery
Director, Just Tell
JustTell.org

268
This is a beautiful campaign. I wanted to add that kids who are being physically and sexually abused commit suicide at alarming rates too. Kids who are being sexually abused need to know that they can and should tell an adult they trust what's happening to them. They can read about why it isn't their fault, why they need feel no guilt or shame for the abuse and why they need to tell at JustTell.org
Thank you.
Vivian Farmery
Just Tell
269
Lisa M. January- God bless Joel Burns for his bravery and his empathy! Any child that is sad or being hurt because they are different is so wrong. Any parent that sees this talk to your children, this is NOT right. Gay is not wrong it's just different and ANY child that is being mean to them could single out YOUR own child for ANY reason and do the SAME thing. We all saw it in school. It is our job to begin building awareness, and teaching tolerance, these poor kids are in so much pain. And any person choosing to not agree with me is fine, but DO not post any response because there is no time for your ignorance, I"ll pray for you, but your words will NOT be seen for long on any page. Different isn't bad, it's just different, you'd think we'd all get this by now.
270
Lisa M. January- God bless Joel Burns for his bravery and his empathy! Any child that is sad or being hurt because they are different is so wrong. Any parent that sees this talk to your children, this is NOT right. Gay is not wrong it's just different and ANY child that is being mean to them could single out YOUR own child for ANY reason and do the SAME thing. We all saw it in school. It is our job to begin building awareness, and teaching tolerance, these poor kids are in so much pain. And any person choosing to not agree with me is fine, but DO not post any response because there is no time for your ignorance, I"ll pray for you, but your words will NOT be seen for long on any page. Different isn't bad, it's just different, you'd think we'd all get this by now.
271
It get's better?

No it doesn't. Maybe in some cases, but not on it's own and not in most cases.

If you seed hope, you'll be reaping disappointment. Too fluttery, too fragile, too unreliable.

Want to help? Feed them INFORMATION. ARGUMENTS. FACTS.

Don't give them a crutch to survive. Offer them a weapon to live.
272
I am 45, I have done whole out thing and you know its hard being different. I have struggle with it all my life. My first suicide attempt was at nine. Life is hard, being also a part of GLBTQ identity is hard. Its even harder as teenager. If you have other issues being out makes it even harder.
For some us it doesn't get better being out of closet, it doesn't give loving relationships or choices. We still struggle, we still struggle cope.
Sometimes there no such thing as hope you learn to take what you can. People still bully each other around difference even as a adult and it gets very hard sometimes to cope with it but you do your best to cope that is all you can do.
273
I have watched many of the videos posted and am pleased with the messages that there is hope after high school. I just wish this was marketed to ALL teens who are bullied as opposed to just LGBT. I am a teacher and I see students bullied for many reasons. My own son was bullied for years and he isn't any of the above. All children need hope to know that there is more to life than what they are facing at the moment.
274
I love this project idea, awesome. In my country South Africa we have to also deal with the black community perpertrating vilent acts aginst member sof their community. It is not tolerated at all. recently we lost a sister to this. I applaud your column and your use of power as a writter in a positive way
275
I am a fan of Dan's work and truly appreciate his compassionate diligence in reaching out to save the lives of bullied children.

My compassion guided me to publish an anthology, "Step Into My Shoes: Expressions from the LGBTQ Community", which will accept submissions until April 20, 2011.

www.jafansta.com/anthology.aspx or poetry@jafansta.com
276
It Gets Better Project completely inspires me to make a difference. ALL I EVER WANTED, a new play by a Seattle playwright, addresses how one family can authentically discuss sexuality, sex & love. The play is raising money for Lambert House, a center for GLBTQ youth that encourages empowerment. The play runs through May 8, 2011 in Seattle. Get your tickets at www.allieverwantedproject.com
277
We all have our freedom to love any person, however, we should ensure that the person we are loving is not committed to another person, otherwise, we will end up hurting ourselves or other people.

http://meladermwarning.com/
278
Yes, we are entitled to love anybody we want.

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279
Yes, we are entitled to love anybody we want.

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280
I believed people who are homophobic are usually ignorant and these are heterosexual people who are afraid of being turn into gay or lesbian by homosexual people. The fact of the matter is gay people do not have this intent and they have the same need and want as couple in heterosexual relationship and these include love, affections and commitment.

http://www.self-help-sexuality.com/gay-s…
281
I believed people who are homophobic are usually ignorant and these are heterosexual people who are afraid of being turn into gay or lesbian by homosexual people. The fact of the matter is gay people do not have this intent and they have the same need and want as couple in heterosexual relationship and these include love, affections and commitment.

http://www.self-help-sexuality.com/gay-s…
282
I believed people who are homophobic are usually ignorant and these are heterosexual people who are afraid of being turn into gay or lesbian by homosexual people. The fact of the matter is gay people do not have this intent and they have the same need and want as couple in heterosexual relationship and these include love, affections and commitment.

http://www.self-help-sexuality.com/gay-s…
283
Aw, this was a very nice post. In thought I wish to put in writing like this moreover – taking time and precise effort to make a very good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a lot and under no circumstances seem to get something done.buy cheap facebook fans
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Unfortunately, this information might not be the best information for customers.

All Apple’s rivals might therefore have to pay
heavily for the license charges for every telephone offered.
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