IT GETS BETTER PROJECT

The Gets Better Project exists to uplift, empower and connect LGBTQ+ youth around the globe. It envisions a world where LGBTQ+ youth are free to live equally and know their worthiness and power as individuals. We'll know we've achieved our mission when all LGBTQ+ young people are able to find supportive and loving communities, as well as healthy solutions to their everyday challenges. To get there, we will continue working with partners around the globe to spread the 'it gets better' message as far and wide as possible.

The It Gets Better Project focuses its efforts in two major areas:

Storytelling. The It Gets Better Project connects young LGBTQ+ people with the global LGBTQ+ community by providing access to an arsenal of uplifting and inspiring stories of hope, resilience, and determination, as told by members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies.

Building Community. The It Gets Better Project builds community both internationally and locally in three main ways: (a) by cultivating a growing network of international affiliates that have embraced the It Gets Better Project's mission to support LGBTQ+ youth in their home countries, (b) by engaging with young LGBTQ+ people both on and offline, and (c) by connecting them to local community service providers that can provide on-the-ground assistance.

From the It Gets Better Project's start, we've had the support of individuals and institutions throughout the media industry and the LGBTQ+ nonprofit world that believe in our mission. Our staff, board and team of consultants effectively nurture these relationships while also generating new ones, and as a group, possess the skills needed to identify, generate, curate and deploy powerful content that can improve the lives and circumstances of LGBTQ+ young people and offer them a brighter vision for tomorrow. These skills, combined with supporters and allies from around the globe, help maintain the power and relevance of the 'it gets better' message in the lives of LGBTQ+ youth.

Now in its tenth year, the It Gets Better Project has seen it get better for millions of LGBTQ+ people. We have witnessed marriage equality in the United States and abroad, a White House bathed in rainbow light, and the normalization of coming out for a generation of young people who are redefining gender and sexuality in their own terms. The It Gets Better Project's messages of hope for LGBTQ+ youth, spread by diverse messengers and media channels, have inspired people around the world and continue to touch individual lives and contribute to sweeping cultural changes.

The It Gets Better Project has amassed a dynamic collection of stories and other digital media content-shared via YouTube, Facebook, and other social channels-that expound on the values of resiliency, hope, community, and staying true to oneself. More than 70,000 individuals, corporations, and other organizations have shared their stories, and many have donated their time and financial resources, which has resulted in a highly recognized and celebrated global movement with a growing presence in 17 countries around the world. The stories about how life can and will get better are reaching young people and changing their own narratives of what's possible for them today and in the future.

The It Gets Better Project has touched countless individual lives - as seen through the tens of thousands of letters, emails and online comments we have received telling us so. We have given voice to the voiceless and shown a mirror to those who previously felt alone. We have engaged influential allies by including the voices of leaders and celebrities in the It Gets Better movement. For some, seeing that President Obama was on their side may have made the difference. For others, it was the person from their hometown, or one just like it, whose story was so similar it felt like it could be their own. We energized people to take action by making videos, and we provided hope to countless young.

The It Gets Better Project is on a path to assembling the largest collection of positive LGBTQ+ content in the world, as well as creating a global content distribution platform capable of reaching millions of LGBTQ+ youth to bring hope, community, and support to all who seek it. By continuing to influence the global social narrative through new media initiatives, broadening its distribution network, and enhancing visibility of the It Gets Better brand, the It Gets Better Project will continue to reach young LGBTQ+ people who have the most to gain from the organization's positive and empowering work.