Wordless Wednesdays

Adam Lambert - It Gets Better

Prince Poppycock - It Gets Better

My darling Poppycock, or should I say his alter ego, John Quale, produced a video for the Trevor Project and for the It Gets Better project started by Dan Savage a few weeks ago.  Take a look.

Watch 'Trevor' Here

Trevor started it all.  Made in 1994, this Academy Award winning short film is the story of a teen that tries to take his life.  It became the inspiration behind The Trevor Project.  Again, the number for the Trevor Lifeline is 1-866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386).  Enjoy the film.

Buck Angel - It Gets Better

The first time I saw Buck Angel was on Maury.  It was one of those episodes where the audience was guessing if guests were male or female.  Buck was one of the guests.

Buck took the world by storm in 2004.  He was the first female to male transgendered porn star in history.  In 2007, he became the first transsexual man to win AVN's Transsexual Performer of the Year.  His video for the It Gets Better Project is the most emotional one I've seen yet.  Get a tissue.



Update:  I sent an email to Buck last night, thanking him for making the video.  Last weekend, I saw at least a dozen F2M young transgendered individuals at Pride.  I told Buck that he's a role model to those young people, and by making that video, he may have just saved one of their lives.

He emailed me back this afternoon.  For privacy reasons, I can't publish the email.  In a nutshell, he said that he didn't anticipate getting emotional, and he got a little freaked out about it, but he realized in the end that it wasn't about him but about helping others.  He ended the email with a "Woof!"  LOL.

Chaz Bono - It Gets Better

This video was released a few days ago, but I was out of town, so I didn't have a chance to pass it along.  The Trevor Project has done an amazing job at showing a diversity of voices from the LGBT community in their It Gets Better campaign.  Videos from transgendered adults have been noticeably rare.  It was wonderful to see Chaz Bono step forward to say some encouraging words for the gay, transgendered, questioning and transitioning youth out there.

Chris Colfer For The Trevor Project

Tim Gunn - It Gets Better

An It Gets Better video from Project Runway's Tim Gunn.  In it, he reveals his failed suicide attempt at the age of 17.

A Message From Kathy Griffin

Comedian Kathy Griffin has released a statement concerning anti-gay bullying and the attitudes toward gay people in the religious community.  Earlier tonight, she announced on Larry King Live that her entire salary from her Dec. 16th show will be donated to The Trevor Project.

December 16th, she will be performing at the Gibson Theatre at Universal Citywalk in Los Angeles.  To get tickets, click here.

Stars Come Out To Say It Gets Better

More than 500 videos have been posted on Youtube since Dan Savage introduced the It Gets Better project last month.  While some have been quite inspirational, it seems that many have jumped on the bandwagon as a way to get some sort of publicity.  There have been reports of blogs getting video submissions from dozens of reality show stars and B list celebrities.  Just do a search on Youtube for "It Gets Better" and take a gander at some of the VH1 reality show nobodies that show up.

Below are some of the better videos I have seen over the last couple of days.  Cyndi Lauper submitted this video on behalf of The Trevor Project:



Secondly, an It Gets Better message from the cast of the Broadway musical Wicked:

Judy Shepard Speaks Out On Gay Suicides

Via The Advocate:

Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard, issued a statement yesterday regarding the rash of suicides amongst gay teenagers.  The statement, titled We Must All Protect Youth From Suicide, calls for an end to bullying and urges suicidal young people to contact The Trevor Project.  Here it is in it's entirety.

Our family, and the staff and board at the Matthew Shepard Foundation, are all deeply saddened by the devastating report of at least the fourth gay or gay-perceived teen to commit suicide in this country in the last month.

Reports say that Tyler Clementi, 18, leapt to his death from the George Washington Bridge near his New Jersey college campus after a roommate allegedly broadcast him in a same-sex encounter behind closed doors in his dorm room, and apparently invited others, via Twitter, to view it online. Regardless of his roommate¹s alleged tweet, Tyler had apparently made no statement about his own sexual orientation. I¹m sure we will all learn more about this terrible tragedy as legal proceedings unfold, but the contempt and disregard behind such an invasion of privacy seems clear. In the meantime, we send our thoughts and prayers to Tyler¹s family as they mourn their loss.

In the last month there has been a shocking series of teen suicides linked to bullying, taunting, and general disrespect regarding sexual orientation, in every corner of America. Just a few days ago, Seth Walsh, a 13-year-old in Tehachapi, Calif., passed away after 10 days on life support after he hanged himself. Police say he had been mercilessly taunted by fellow students over his perceived sexual orientation.

Billy Lucas, 15, hanged himself a few weeks ago at his Indiana home after years of reported harassment by students who judged him to be gay. Asher Brown, a 13-year-old in Harris, TX, who had recently come out, took his life with a gun after, his parents say, their efforts to alert school officials to ongoing bullying were not acted upon.

Many Americans also learned this week about Tyler Wilson, an 11-year-old boy in Ohio who decided to join a cheerleading squad that had been all-female. As a gymnast, he was interested in the athletic elements of cheering. He was taunted with homophobic remarks and had his arm broken by two schoolmates who apparently assumed him to be gay. He told Good Morning America that since returning to school, he¹s been threatened with having his other arm broken, too.

Our young people deserve better than to go to schools where they are treated this way. We have to make schools a safe place for our youth to prepare for their futures, not be confronted with threats, intimidation or routine disrespect.

Quite simply, we are calling one more time for all Americans to stand up and speak out against taunting, invasion of privacy, violence and discrimination against these youth by their peers, and asking everyone in a position of authority in their schools and communities to step forward and provide safe spaces and support services for LGBT youth or those who are simply targeted for discrimination because others assume they are gay. There can never be enough love and acceptance for these young people as they seek to live openly as their true selves and find their role in society.

Suicide is a complicated problem and it is too easy to casually blame it on a single factor in a young person¹s life, but it is clear that mistreatment by others has a tremendously negative effect on a young person¹s sense of self worth and colors how he or she sees the world around them. Parents, educators and peers in the community need to be vigilant to the warning signs of suicide and other self-destructive behaviors in the young people in their lives, and help them find resources to be healthy and productive. We urge any LGBT youth contemplating suicide to immediately reach out to The Trevor Project, day or night, at (866) 4-U-TREVOR [866-488-7386].

Judy Shepard
President, Matthew Shepard Foundation Board of Directors

Another Gay Teen Commits Suicide

Yet another gay teen has committed suicide.  Raymond Chase, a student at Johnson & Wales in Providence, RI, was found hanging in his dorm room last Wednesday.  The death of the 19 year old culinary student follows those of Asher Brown, Billy Lucas, Seth Walsh and Tyler Clementi.

The Human Rights Campaign and Campus Pride are both demanding that action be taken nationwide to address the bullying of gay teens.  In a statement today, Shane Windmeyer, the founder of Campus Pride, said,

 “The suicide of this openly gay young man is for reasons currently unknown; however, the recent pattern of LGBT youth suicides is cause for grave concern. Campus Pride demands national action be taken to address youth bullying, harassment and the need for safety and inclusion for LGBT youth at colleges and universities across the country. We must not let these tragic deaths go unnoticed. Together we must act decisively to curb anti-LGBT bias incidents, harassment and acts of violence.”

 Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education, has released a statement within the last hour, saying in part,

"This is a moment where every one of us -- parents, teachers, students, elected officials, and all people of conscience -- needs to stand up and speak out against intolerance in all its forms.  Whether it's students harassing other students because of ethnicity, disability or religion; or an adult, public official harassing the President of the University of Michigan student body because he is gay, it is time we as a country said enough. No more. This must stop."

 The Trevor Project is asking for a national moment of silence for the five young men that have taken their own lives this month, and for the others that may have taken their lives without the world knowing of their sexual orientation or the torment they endured.  Please join me in observing this moment of silence at 8pm Eastern time.  ***If you or anyone you know is thinking about harming themselves, please call The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386.***  You can speak with a counselor who can relate to your experiences as someone who is LGBT.  They have been in your shoes.  They can help.  We can't continue to hear these stories in the news.  We cannot let the future of our community take their own lives.

Darren Hayes: It Gets Better

Darren Hayes, the former front man for Savage Garden, has contributed a video for the It Gets Better project.  This one really hit home for me, especially the part where he says that kids outed him as gay before he even realized he was.  Take a look...

Ellen Speaks Out For Trevor Project

Again, you can place a $5 donation to The Trevor Project directly from your cell phone.  TEXT "TREVOR" TO  85944 to donate.

Support The Trevor Project

In the month of September, four young men have committed suicide to escape the relentless anti-gay bullying from other students.  Billy Lucas, a 15 year old high school Freshman from Greensburg, IN, took his own life in the family's barn on September 9th.  Friends say the abuse from other students was constant, and that he just wasn't able to fight back.

Asher Brown, a 13 year old Houston eighth grader, shot himself in the head the same day that he came out to his parents.  He was the target of bullies for the last 18 months.  They even went so far as to perform mock gay acts on him while in Phys Ed.  

Seth Walsh, a 13 year old from California, was the third gay youth to take his life this month.  He died yesterday afternoon, after being on life support for the last nine days.  He was found in the backyard of his home after hanging himself.  Like the others, he had been bullied for a considerable amount of time.  The school did nothing to protect him.  According to local station KGET:

“Tehachapi police investigators interviewed some of the young people who taunted Seth the day he hanged himself and determined despite the tragic outcome of their ridicule, their actions do not constitute a crime."

Tyler Clementi, an 18 year old Freshman from Rutgers University, is presumed to have jumped off the George Washington Bridge last week.  His car, cell phone and computer were all found next to the bridge but his body has yet to be recovered.  On September 19th, his roommate broadcast a live webcam video of him having sex with another male student.  His roommate even posted the following Tweet:

"Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into molly's room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay."

Two days later, he posted an IChat link of the video broadcast.

The Trevor Project is a California based organization that provides suicide prevention counselors for LGBT youths, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  It's possible that, had these young men knew about this outlet, they would still be alive today.

Last week, The Trevor Project, with the help of Dan Savage, has sponsored a series of Youtube videos called It Gets Better.  In it, gay and lesbian adults tell their personal stories and assure young LGBT people that things will get better if they just hang in there.  Here is one of the more touching and inspiring videos I've seen:

The Trevor Project runs solely on donations.  They are a charitable organization.  You can get more information about how to donate here.  Or, you can make a $5 donation right now using your cell phone.

TEXT "TREVOR" TO 85944, and $5 will go to The Trevor Project and be billed on your next cell phone bill.

***If you are thinking about hurting yourself or committing suicide, please get help.  Call The Trevor Lifeline at 866-488-7386.***