Celebrities Remind Gay Teens It Gets Better

Celebrities Promoting Tolerance

The recent suicides of gay teens spurned by homophobic peers have rallied many celebrities to reach out to teens in crisis. Ellen DeGeneres implored teens struggling against hate and ignorance to hang in for a better future, as well as urged those around them to create a better future by ending bullying.

“It gets better” is the theme of a new PSA The Trevor Project, which runs a suicide hotline for LGBTQ teens, is launching featuring Anne Hathaway, Ke$ha, and Jenny McCarthy. (A past Trevor Project PSA featured Daniel Radcliffe).

Of course, not every effective internet cause needs to be celebrity-driven. Another site that’s offering teens who are being tormented comfort is the ItGetsBetterProject. Started by Dan Savage, it’s a YouTube channel that encourages everyday YouTube viewers to create and post optimistic videos in which they share stories about how their situation has changed for the better.

Striking an angrier chord, Sarah Silverman, who has in the past combined humor with activism, was seriously fuming in the short video she posted on Perez Hilton’s YouTube channel. Pointing out the government’s unwillingness to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell or legalize gay marriage, she accuses our politicians of giving teen bullies a homophobic example to follow.

Conservative politicians are sending a message that being gay is something to be ashamed of; senatorial candidate Christine O’Donnell treats homosexuality like it’s a disease. (Did she factor gay teens into her new “I’m You” campaign? Is Christine O’Donnell a gay teen?)

Here’s to hoping that all the stories of encouragement reach the teens who need to hear them, and the men and women in Washington take the recent deaths as a sign the government has to lead by being an example of tolerance.