To mark Pride Month, U.S. Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr., talk show host Boy Abunda, and the staff at the U.S. Embassy in Manila made a video to tell those who are bullied for being gay that things get better.
Abunda talks about getting nasty notes about his being gay when he was in college and Thomas talks about being verbally and physically harassed by a senior classman every day on the commute to school. “I had to alter my route just to avoid the harassment,” he says, adding nobody should have to change their lifestyle for others.
“While those memories vividly remain, I can attest that it does get better,” Thomas, who represents the world’s most powerful nation, adds.
Abunda reminds victims of bullying that they are not alone. Rather than be ashamed of who they are, Abunda said they should embrace their individuality and fight against discrimination.
A member of the U.S. Embassy staff holds an umbrella and helpfully reminds viewers that “if you know who you are, you can weather the storms of life because you know it gets better.”
The It Gets Better project started in 2010 in response to teenagers who commited suicide after being bullied for either being gay or being perceived as gay. The project uses videos of adults, both straight and gay, to send the message that they are not alone and that things get better.
Here’s U.S. President Barack Obama giving a similar message:
