A companion to the popular video project, this book presents first-person accounts by adults assuring GLBTQ youth that, despite the challenges of being young and gay, life gets better.
The It Gets Better Project was initiated last year by sex columnist, Dan Savage and his partner, Terry Miller, in response to a string of highly publicized suicides by gay teens. As they explain in the introduction, Savage and Miller wanted to provide bullied youth access to the stories of happy, well-adjusted gay adults. So they created a YouTube channel, posted a video, and encouraged others to submit their own. Thousands of videos later, this book collects transcripts of some of the best from YouTube, as well as new pieces. Like the video project, the book’s success springs from the variety of voices represented, both famous and unknown. A sample of the writers includes a group of orthodox Jews, Broadway actors, an African-American minister, and a self-proclaimed “big rural dyke.â€
Though some of the stories suffer without their original video, none are longer than a few pages, allowing for easy browsing. The extensive discussion of bullying occasionally includes slurs and harsh language. There is also some mention of sex and kink, but nothing explicit.
In addition to the narratives, the book is rich with resources for youth, parents, and teachers. The book and video project — now housed at www.itgetsbetter.org — present many opportunities for programming and teaching. Given the project’s wide success and interest, this is a must for all public libraries and high school libraries.
Reviewed by, Kelly McElroy
Undergraduate Services Librarian
University of Iowa Libraries
