Marcus Hijkoop
Reporter & Website Manager
On September 22nd, 2010, Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi took his own life after his roommate humiliated him by posting a video of Clementi kissing another man online. A month later, the Youtube Video “We Want It to Get Better (Teens)” was posted, featuring students and instructors from the performing arts school The Studio, based in New Canaan. Instructors at the performing arts school, located on Forest Street, decided to take action in order to prevent such casualties in the future.
The “It Gets Better” project was created by Dan Savage as a Youtube video in association with the “Trevor Project,” an organization that aims to prevent bullying, specifically for the teenage LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community. Jeremy Leiner, one of the instructors at The Studio, is featured in numerous videos, including “We Want It to Get Better (Teens),” which he created with colleagues Ethan Mathews and Chris York.
Deciding it was necessary to take action himself, Mr. Leiner opened up a forum to his students to discuss issues such as bullying towards the LGBT community. Sonn after, he uploaded a video with Mr. Mathews and Mr. York featuring students encouraging suicidal teens to keep living. Mr. Leiner was concerned that past videos, encouraging as they may be, “came from adult, after adult, after adult, and I was wondering when I’d see the teen perspective,” Mr. Leiner said. “If the bullying is coming from your peers, then encouragement from distant adults is only mildly effective. Fellow teens saying, ‘I support you’ is vital.”
Thousands of videos promoting “It Gets Better” are easily accessible on Youtube and on the official “It Gets Better” homepage. Featured in such videos are hundreds of celebrities such as Jason Derulo, Ke$ha, Kim Kardashian and Sarah Silverman. However, before the “We Want It to Get Better (Teens)” video, all uploads were made by adults promising “it gets better” in the future, rather than teens encouraging other teens to express their sexuality in the present.
“Jeremy was outraged, and felt it was absolutely vital for teens to get involved,” said senior Stewart Taylor, a student at The Studio. “It’s more important for teens to see the issue… for someone who has come out with a so-called ‘different’ sexual orientation, it can be tough because other teens don’t understand.”
“It’s not fair for people to wait to have a happy and fulfilling life,” junior Maddie Atchue, a student at The Studio, said. “High school students have to get over the mindset that [being LGBT is]weird. It’s completely normal.”
Stewart said he wishes to comfort students on more general matters as well. “Regardless of whether you are gay or you are struggling with self-esteem issues, you are beautiful and we are here for you. It does get better.”
A mere two days before he jumped off the George Washington Bridge, Clementi posted a video on the web seeking help from fellow college students but received little response. Supporters say online encouragement, such as the “It Gets Better (Teens)” Youtube upload, are capable of saving teens on the brink of suicide.
The publication of a video on the internet may have been the reason Tyler Clementi took his own life, but videos such as “It Gets Better (Teens)” encourage students to ignore bullying and be content with their sexuality.
As Jordan Ho, an alumnus from the class of 2010, says in the video, “If you are someone who is different and you’re feeling alone and isolated, you need to know that there are people all around you who love you. I want it to get better.”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De8Ny-abT6M
