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

by Savage, Dan; Miller, Terry

• ISBN13: 9780525952336
• ISBN10: 0525952330
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-03-22
• Publisher: E P Dutton

Summary

Every story can change a life. Growing up isn't easy. Many young people face daily tormenting and bullying, making them feel like they have nowhere to turn. This is especially true for LGBT kids and teens who often hide their sexuality for fear of bullying. Without other openly gay adults and mentors in their lives, they can't imagine what their future may hold. In many instances, gay and lesbian adolescents are taunted - even tortured - simply for being themselves. After a number of tragic suicides by LGBT students who were bullied in school, syndicated columnist and author Dan Savage uploaded a video to YouTube with his partner Terry Miller to inspire hope for LGBT youth facing harassment. Speaking openly about the bullying they suffered as teenagers, and how they both went on to lead rewarding adult lives, their video launched the It Gets Better Project YouTube channel and initiated a worldwide phenomenon. With over 6,000 videos posted and over 20 million views in the first three months alone, the world has embraced the opportunity to provide personal, honest and heartfelt support for LGBT youth everywhere. It Gets Betteris a collection of expanded essays and new material from celebrities, everyday people and teens who have posted videos of encouragement, as well as new contributors who have yet to post videos to the site. While many of these teens couldn't see a positive future for themselves, we can. We can show LGBT youth the levels of happiness, potential and positivity their lives will reach if they can just get through their teen years. By sharing these stories, It Gets Betterreminds teenagers in the LGBT community that they are not alone - and it WILL get better.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
A Message from President	p. 9
You Will Find Your People	p. 11
The Life Almost Lost	p. 15
In the Early Morning Rain	p. 18
Something Has Changed Within Me	p. 22
Action Makes It Better	p. 24
You Are a Rubber Band, My Friend	p. 27
God Believes in You	p. 30
The Person Worth Fighting For Is You	p. 35
A Message	p. 38
Life Unfolds Exactly As It Should (But Not As You Planned)	p. 40
It Gets Better for a British Soldier	p. 42
Getting Stronger and Staying Alive	p. 45
Coming Out of the Shtetl: Gay Orthodox Jews	p. 48
Going Back In	p. 54
And the Emmy Goes to …	p. 59
A Message from U.S. Secretary of State	p. 62
This I Know for Sure	p. 64
It Gets Better Broadway by Members of the Broadway and New York Theater Community	p. 67
Rockin' the Flannel Shirt	p. 71
How It Got Better for an Ordained Christian Minister	p. 74
Out of Darkness	p. 77
I Was a Teenage Lesbian	p. 79
Something Special	p. 80
The Dinner Party	p. 82
What I Wish I Knew	p. 87
Freedom from Fear	p. 91
A Message from Prime Minister	p. 94
You Will Meet People Who Celebrate You	p. 96
An Identity Unfolded	p. 99
A Message	p. 102
Brothers: It Gets Better	p. 104
Drop Dead, Warlock	p. 110
Gwendolyn Gone	p. 112
Growing Up Gay …	p. 114
The Biggest Gift	p. 117
A Message from Senator	p. 121
Transsexual Prairie Girl	p. 123
Art from Rage	p. 125
It Gets Better	p. 127
Too Good to Be True	p. 130
Journey to a Better Life	p. 133
The Gay Guy in the Band	p. 138
Will I Grow Up to Be Paul Lynde?	p. 140
Finding Who I Am	p. 142
Community	p. 145
A Message	p. 147
Gunn's Golden Rules	p. 149
Perfect, Just the Way You Are	p. 151
Where Happiness Is	p. 153
Not-Normal	p. 158
Born This Way	p. 162
Darn It	p. 165
Look at the Moon	p. 167
Critical Shifts	p. 169
For Aideybear	p. 171
A Message	p. 173
The Show Must Go On	p. 175
Survival Tools	p. 177
Dear Uncle Ronnie	p. 181
My Office Wall	p. 185
Keep on Livin'	p. 187
It Gets Better Because You're a Little Different	p. 189
Unapologetically, Me	p. 192
A Collective Voice	p. 195
I Didn't Always Wear a Tuxedo	p. 201
How I Got Over	p. 205
A ôBetterö Evolution	p. 208
Save Yourself, Save the World	p. 211
Becoming an Authentic Person	p. 213
On the Other Side	p. 215
Bully Me	p. 218
To the Bullies	p. 220
The Good Fight	p. 223
A Message	p. 226
Haters Can't Hate Someone Who Loves Themselves, and if They Do, Who Cares	p. 228
Not Playing at a Cinema Near You	p. 232
From ôFaggotö to Field Biologist	p. 235
It Got Better	p. 238
Our Parents as Allies	p. 240
Lesbian Teacher Believes in You	p. 243
Stepping Off the Sidelines	p. 245
My Own Worst Enemy	p. 248
You Are a Beloved Child of God	p. 254
Transgendered and Self-Educated in Maine	p. 256
The Power of ôYouö	p. 261
It Gets Better for Small Towners, Too	p. 264
To Me: With Love and Squalor	p. 267
Happiness Is Inevitable	p. 271
I Wish I'd Been Sassier!	p. 273
Protect and Serve Loves Semper Fidelis	p. 275
The Doors of Acceptance	p. 279
Hope Out of Tragedy	p. 282
Patience Makes Perfect … Sense	p. 287
Christian LGBT Kids: You're Part of the Plan	p. 289
Terrible Day	p. 291
The Worst of Both Worlds	p. 294
Closets on Fire	p. 297
The King Brothers	p. 300
Community Found	p. 303
From Scared to Proud: The Journey of a Gay Medical Student	p. 307
Authentic Self	p. 310
You Can Live a Life That's Worth Living	p. 312
Epilogue	p. 315
Acknowledgments	p. 319
Resources
Some Curriculum Guidelines for Schools and Teachers	p. 321
The Trevor Project	p. 325
GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network)	p. 327
ACLU LGBT Project	p. 329
Photo and Comic Credits	p. 331
Permissions	p. 333
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.