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The world's largest storytelling organization for LGBTQ+ youth.
Blog Post

Our Youth Voices Reached One Million People!

Jul 30, 2025

At the heart of It Gets Better’s mission is a bold commitment: to uplift, empower, and connect LGBTQ+ youth around the globe. Through confidence-building, skill development, and access to essential resources, we help young people not just imagine their brightest futures but believe in them. Because for LGBTQ+ youth, the future is more than a possibility—it’s powerful, vibrant, and limitless.

That future comes to life through Youth Voices, our year-long leadership development program for high school students ages 14–18. Since 2020, Youth Voices has brought together more than 30 young LGBTQ+ leaders from across the U.S. to share their stories, inspire their peers, and drive meaningful change in their communities. They are artists, organizers, activists, dreamers, and above all, they are unapologetically themselves.

The Youth Voices Class of 2025 just wrapped up an unforgettable year, and what they accomplished was nothing short of extraordinary. Against the backdrop of one of the most hostile political climates in recent memory, these young people rose above. As of July 11, 2025, ACLU is tracking 598 anti-LBGTQ+ bills in the US, many of which specifically target transgender and nonbinary youth. In the face of these relentless attacks on their rights, safety, and humanity, our Youth Voices did what many adults struggle to do: they showed up, spoke out, and led with courage.

Photo by Maxwell Poth

They conceptualized and executed powerful projects, learned to tell their stories in ways that inspire change, and formed friendships that will carry them far beyond this program. This miraculous group of young people is a living, breathing testament to what queer and trans brilliance looks like when it’s nurtured, supported, and unapologetically loud in the face of adversity. They are estimated to have reached 1,000,000+ across 30 activations in-person, through social media, in news articles, and more!

Check out some of these accomplishments below:

  • Aaron’s Election Szn Campaign Video – It was Aaron’s first time voting… and so was their grandmas! Aaron filmed a video chatting in Spanish with their mom about their experience voting for the first time and why voting is important for people of all ages.