It Gets Better?

It seems as though there has never been a worse time to be a homosexual youth in America, and the recent wave of teen suicide brought on by bullying at the hands of their peers certainly supports this notion. The It Gets Better Project was established to help combat this problem. Now this organization has recruited a great deal of support from many noted and respected gay individuals like Ellen, Neil Patrick Harris and Chris Colfer from the hit show Glee. Not only that, other individuals with a vested interest in human rights have stepped forward to speak out on the matter - including US President Barack Obama.

The It Gets Better Project lists the following as their mission statement:

THE PLEDGE: Everyone deserves to be respected for who they are. I pledge to spread this message to my friends, family and neighbors. I'll speak up against hate and intolerance whenever I see it, at school and at work. I'll provide hope for lesbian, gay, bi, trans and other bullied teens by letting them know that "It Gets Better."

I agree with the aims of this campaign, but have one simple problem with the majority of videos and statements provided by people to support this project. It doesn't GET better; you have to make it better. I recognize that there are times when life can truly suck, and it seems as if nobody will ever understand you or accept you for who you are. However, in this age of information and technology there is always some means of talking to someone who can help you get through your problems. Chris Colfer speaks out about The Trevor Project, a 24-hour suicide hotline for LGBTQ youth. Forums can be very useful for addressing problems since you can talk to a variety of individuals in similar situations, but anonymity can be protected. I am typically a proponent of active, face-to-face communication... but at the same time, I realize that is particularly hard to do if you're not ready. Individuals who feel as though nobody will ever understand them should take advantage of these sources to learn that there are indeed people out there going through the same thing, who make it to the other side and see that life really does have more to offer than the taunting, bullying, harassment and hatred would have you believe.

What's more, the Make It Better campaign takes this notion one step further. While the It Gets Better Project seems to focus on support and encouragement (a necessary and applaudable notion), the Make It Better campaign has a decently organized website providing youth AND adults tools and means to help make the community around them a better place, supportive of all those who call that place 'home.'

The world can be a scary and angry place, and it often seems like it will never reach a perfect step. Just remember that if you don't give up hope, stay true to yourself and take an active hand in changing the world around you it will indeed get better.