American attitudes toward the LGBT community have been changing for the better over the past decade. Millennials in particular are more accepting of gay culture; they’re more likely than older generations to have friends who are gay and, unlike older adults, have grown up seeing gay culture in media. A recent Pew Research study found that 59% of Millennials are in favor of gay marriage, compared to 46% of Americans overall.
Despite all this favorable news, it’s still not easy for LGBT students to come out, first dealing with family and friends’ reactions, and then the public reaction at school and in their communities. While bullying is a problem for all students, it’s a particular problem for gay students. There are still people and places that aren’t accepting of LGBT people. Organizations including Dan Savage’s It Gets Better, Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation (officially launching next week), and the Gay-Straight Alliance are bringing a focus to the issues LGBT students face.
A new documentary special from It Gets Better, MTV, and Logo, which airs tonight at 11pm, follows three young people as they deal with coming out, getting married, and gaining the acceptance of their families. The show includes messages from some of the 40,000 videos from celebrities and students that have been submitted to the It Gets Better Project, as well as some statistics — both shocking and hopeful — about the issues the show uncovers as young LGBT people go through the various stages of coming out…
Vanessa has come out as a lesbian, but her mother is struggling with accepting her daughter’s new life, her new look, and her new girlfriend. She admits to still hoping that her daughter will simply change her mind.
Aydian is a transgender man hoping to get married. While many people are comfortable with gay, transgender is a “whole new ballgame†which often leads to awkward, frustrating questions. Having worked so hard to become who he is, it is now up to the state to legally acknowledge his gender so he can get married.
Greg is the student body president at his high school, and has been hiding that he is gay. He’s finally decided to come out to his friends and his conservative parents, despite fearing their reactions. He admits life would be easier if he didn’t come out, but stressful not acknowledging who he is.
The special unfortunately avoids some of the harsher challenges that LGBT people face in coming out and paints a slightly-too-rosy picture, but it gets the message across that, eventually, it does get better.
