LGBTQ+ Youth Are Counting On Us. We Won’t Back Down!

By Brian Wenke, Executive Director – It Gets Better

The path of progress is rarely a straight line, and the next four years are going to demand incredible focus as we navigate a new presidential administration determined to dehumanize our community. This feels familiar — like we’ve been here before, but the world has changed. We expect new challenges, and we will meet them head-on.

When I joined It Gets Better in 2016 and was charged with leading the organization through the first Trump presidency, we were able to tap into our anger and frustration to catalyze unprecedented growth for our organization – growth that led to It Gets Better becoming the world’s largest storytelling effort to uplift and empower LGBTQ+ young people.

Our community has been the target of a near-endless barrage of bullying by our elected officials. Anti-LGBT sentiment has surfaced in nearly every US State in the form of oppressive legislation that threatens the progress we’ve achieved over the last few decades. Though we are saddened by what our country has delivered to us this week, I know in my soul that whatever immediate disappointment we may experience will one day be a distant memory.

It Gets Better has and will always be a guiding light for LGBTQ+ young people who continue to struggle with isolation, family rejection, and the intense loneliness that comes with being queer in a society that rails against anything “different.” But being a guiding light will not be enough in the coming years – we must be more.

It Gets Better is nurturing the next generation of LGBTQ+ leaders. We are leveraging our position as the largest LGBTQ+ youth-centric organization on social media and our vast network of educators, grantees, youth ambassadors, content creators and investors to empower LGBTQ+ youth to carve out their place in this uncertain world. We are walking side-by-side with the next generation of LGBTQ+ people, providing the resources they need to thrive, so they can join the fight for progress with confidence.

You’ve stayed by our side for the last 14 years, and we need you now more than ever. We cannot go back. The closet has been destroyed, and today’s LGBTQ+ youth need us to stay strong and focused. Together, we can power through the tough times to give future generations of LGBTQ+ people a fighting chance at a life worth living!

With hope and determination for a better future for all,
Brian Wenke
Executive Director
It Gets Better