New project from Dan Savage: It Gets Better

Dan Savage (the man behind the Savage Love sex advice column and podcast) has started a new project, called It Gets Better. It was inspired by the suicide of gay teenager Billy Lucas, after he experienced much bullying.

About the project:

If you’re gay or lesbian or bi or trans, and you’ve ever read about a kid like Billy Lucas and thought, “Fuck, I wish I could’ve told him that it gets better,” this is your chance. We can’t help Billy, but there are lots of other Billys out there—other despairing LGBT kids who are being bullied and harassed, kids who don’t think they have a future—and we can help them….

READ MORE about the It Gets Better Project, in Savage Love, here: http://bit.ly/bYtxBd

Dan and his husband have a video up, as well as quite a few other folks around the country. Even Perez Hilton has participated.

Do you have a story to share or a message to send to queer young people? Participate in the project and make your own it gets better video.

Transcript after the jump

Transcript:

I came out as bisexual to my junior high school. I’m not sure why or what possessed me to think that that would lead to social success.

I remember I was in a school play in 7th grade, maybe 8th grade I must have been 12 maybe 13 years old. Part of the play we actually came off the stage and ran through the aisles in the audience. As I ran down the aisles someone stuck their foot out and tried to trip me, and whispered dyke at me.

It gets better. It definitely gets better. I’m in my late twenties now, I live in Southern California, I have an amazing network of friends who are gay straight bi pansexual transgender and I don’t have to interact with the haters if I don’t want to.

You’re still going to hear things and see things and people are still gonna be dicks, because that’s what people do. But when you’re an adult it’s easier to carve out happiness. It gets better.