It Gets Better: Hope

Dear middle school/high school teenager,

I want you to know that it gets better. I know that right now, this sounds like some mad hope, some unattainable dream. That was what I thought too, when I first saw Dan and Terry’s “It Gets Better” video.

But this quarter in college, I took a freshman seminar about the “It Gets Better” project and growing up gay. I had the opportunity to explore, read, watch, and analyze books, films and media that fully portrayed LGBT people. Before the class, I was not aware that there was such an abundance of literature involving LGBT people. I guess I never really thought about it. But what surprised me was that not only were there so many works of art involving LGBTs, but all these books I’ve read and films I’ve watched featured happy endings for their homosexual characters. Each and every one of them: Therese and Carol in The Price of Salt, Maurice and Scudder in Maurice, Jamie and Ste in Beautiful Thing.

And just like these people in the books, in the movies, you will find your people and be happy. I know this because I have LGBT friends who are happier now that they have entered college and found their community.

This was in the preface of Peter Cameron’s Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You:

“Be patient and tough, someday this pain will be useful to you.” – Ovid

Best advice I’ve heard in a while. People do really get more mature with time – the bullying eventually stops. You just have to stick it out. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.

Whenever you find yourself feeling hopeless and downcast, look at all these art, all these sources of solace; turn to them and immerse yourself in these wonderful works, and know that it will get better.

I want you to remember that every day there are many others fighting the same battle. You are not alone, even if you feel that way. Reach out, if not to other people, then to literature, to film, to art. Be strong; draw strength from all these characters I mentioned whom you may read about, and have hope that things will get better.

Because hope is a good thing, and no good thing ever dies.

Sincerely,

Jorene.