Tuesday, October 5, 2010

To All GLBT Youth, People in the Closet, and Those Serving in Silence, It Does Indeed Get Better

There have been five young men (Asher Brown-13, Raymond Chase-19, Tyler Clementi-18, Billy Lucas-15, and Seth Walsh-13) who were either gay or perceived to be gay who have committed suicide within the last month.  I could bring myself only to talk about Tyler Clementi's suicide on this blog, but I feel for the others as well, naturally.

In light of this tragic news, I am glad to see the effort that writer Dan Savage has started, the It Gets Better Project.  When I was a teenager suffering in silence, I wish there had been something like this around.  But that is neither here nor there.  I did what I had to do to live my life, and I was able to see for myself that it got better, that my life improved dramatically with regard to my sexual orientation as time passed.  This is a message that desperately needs as much publicity as possible.

I wish that the aforementioned young men had been able to have people in their lives who could have told them, and convinced them that it gets better.  Yes, it is difficult at times, but just keep living and learning and growing.  And this project, though directed at GLBT youth will also help those in the closet generally, and/or those serving in silence in the military. 

This project will save lives. and please remember that it gets better.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is why gay marriage and don't ask don't tell need changed. As long as gays are considered second class our gay kids will grow up believing something is wrong with them. YF

Greg Johnson said...

And just to show that no good idea goes unpunished and that there is a such a thing as too much education

http://tempcontretemps.wordpress.com/2010/09/30/why-i-dont-like-dan-savages-it-gets-better-project-as-a-response-to-bullying/