Many people have been creating “It Gets Better” videos in an attempt to encourage GLBT youth to be strong and maintain hope, specifically due to the recent youth suicides resulting directly from homophobia. I can personally say that it does get better. I was heavily harassed and discriminated against when I was in high school, by both my peers and some teachers. When I came to UMaine, everything was different and it was homphobic individuals who were in the minority. The rainbow Pride Flag is has been flying all week and Coming Out Week begins this Monday. I’ve nearly got my undergraduate degree and I have no doubt things will get even better.
I know what it’s like to want to kill yourself, to have so much internal emotional pain and feel like you can’t talk to anyone about it, or feeling like nothing will change. High school was my world for a short time and I falsely believed it was the world, and always would be. But I was wrong, fortunately. The world is not like that at all. There are opportunities and happiness you should be here to see and be a part of. I’ve been out since middle school, so about 10 years now. I’ve suffered with major depression and I’ve been hospitalized for suicide attempts because I believed something was wrong with me. But I am so glad that I am here today, to be able to write this and tell all of you that it does get better, a lot better. For the first time in American history, we have a president who agrees and wants you to know this…