Set your DVRs: The “It Gets Better” project is airing a True Life-style hour-long special on both MTV and Logo, February 21st at 11pm EST/PST.
Dan Savage teamed up with the networks to create the special, which follows three different LGBT teens at different stages of telling the world they’re queer. One is just beginning to come out to his family, another has come out to her parents but is still working with them to establish a deeper understanding of gay issues, and the last is getting married.
“What you see in the special are all these young people who are at different stages of the coming out process, making it better for themselves using their own power to change and transform their lives,” Savage told MTV News.
And what would an MTV special be without celebrity guest stars? Expect to see messages from Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, Zachary Quinto, Margaret Cho, Chaz Bono, Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino and Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears.
christopher di spirito
3, 2, 1, cue the critics and the haters.
drewa24
Am I horrible for wanting to see Zachery Quinto mount Adam Levine? It gets better if there versatile.
WillBFair
This is moronic. Right. Encourage young people to come out, to ‘use their own power’, of which they have none, and have ‘additional conversations’, which will have zero effect on bible thumping parents.
David Ehrenstein
@WillBFair: Yes the closet is such a wonderful and safe place, isn’t it Will?
Can’t imagine why anyone would wishto be free of it and stand on their own two feet, resolute and unafraid.
Drew
Why does it seem as though a lot of gay men and lesbians will flat out deny that Dan Savage is biphobic and that he’s somehow not transphobic or racist at all, and they argue that his “It gets better” campaign of self promotion that he did just for a reality TV show actually works when we’re having GLBT youth who made IGB videos kill themselves?
IGB is just a bullshit PR campaign, nothing more. Telling kids to put up with bullying until they leave school is not constructive advice. It’s cruel. School boards, school administrators, teachers, etc, need to have zero tolerance policy for bullying. It’s not uncommon for teachers to bully unpopular kids themselves. That’s where the changes need to be made… The reason “It Gets Better” caught on with politicians and celebrities is because it’s great PR and it requires absolutely NOTHING from them in the way of real action.
the crustybastard
@drewa24: “Am I horrible for wanting to see Zachery Quinto mount Adam Levine?”
No. You’re horrible for using a gay website to play to the worst gay stereotype.
christopher di crapito
@Drew: You’re probably the only one here who sees this for what it really is.
Charlie
@Drew: So if someone you don’t like does something good and worthwhile you can’t see any value in it? The man got a nation to tell gay youth that their lives will get better and now a TV special will continue that message but this is a bad thing?
drewa24
@the crustybastard: Your correct, it’s the worst gay stereo type, Queers are HORRIBLE at spelling! I wrote THERE instead of THEY’RE.
Chris
Charlie, what Dan Savage is doing he only did for self promotion, money, and a reality TV show on MTV.
It’s not about LGBT youth and it never has been.
There are actually way more effective LGBT anti-suicide and anti-bullying orgs and campaigns that actually do work.
WillBFair
@Drew: Why? Because Savage is not transphobic. The arguments that he is were made by repeating ancient words of his that he apologized for, and taking his words out of context, and by outright lies.
Like the trans police, you’re good at making accusations without evidence.
As for IGB, this is the first big mistake it has made, encouraging young people to come out in the middle of perilous environments. There’s actually not much we can do for them. We certainly can’t stop the hicks from abusing them.
But we should be creating emotional support structures for the twenty something crowd, who have zero self esteem after the public school hatefest, and are spreading hiv because of it.
But here again the community is locked in celebrity worship ghetto think and is unable to respond to the problem effectively.
Marie
WillbFair yes Dan Savage is Transphobic. Do your own research. Google “Dan Savage transphobia” and you’ll see how he is.
The claim that “oh Dan wasn’t REALLY transphobic, it’s all in the past” is laughable. Based on this should we somehow ignore how Ron Paul is homophobic and biphobic and doesn’t like bisexual or gay men, or anyone with HIV or AIDS?
WillBFair
@Marie: I’ve done the research. And as I said, all the claims were false. And you’re the one making the accusation. You can’t provide one bit of proof?
Clydemnestra
I also hate the guy with the show and the people on the show and the one that wrote this article about the show and all the people that wrote comments about the article about the show! Did I do that right?
Stuffed Animal
The information on Dan Savage’s problematic statements (past and present) is out there for anyone intelligent enough to Google his name along with “racism” or “biphobia” or “transphobia”. Educate yourself WillBFair, and I strongly advise that you do it before the Pied Piper of Slog leads you off the edge of a cliff along with the rest of his mesmerized groupies! That’s where Dan-O is headed for sure, and when he finally takes his fall, it won’t be pretty. ;)
Stuffed Animal
Dan Savage is a piece of shit-that’s how he treats black people, Trans people, bisexual men, bisexual women, and people who are old, or fat. He’s a total con artist and frankly his fans are either ignorant or have no critical thinking skills as shown in comment number 11.
Charlie
@Stuffed Animal: Not true. Here’s Dan on the DL Hughley where he discusses the issue. DL talks about gay folks comparing their struggle to the experience of black civil rights and Dan responds. http://youtu.be/IEHNdXMemqg
GBM
Charlie, how about when Dan Savage completely blamed the passing of prop 8 solely on black people in the state of California?
As a gay black man this made me beyond angry and totally turned me off of him or anything he had to say. His comment was beyond low, it was racist and sadly there are a lot of gay white men in the LGBT community who are just like him.
Joseph
I can’t stand Dan Savage — he’s an egotistical, racist prick — but whether he started the It Gets Better program for his own self-aggrandisement or to genuinely help struggling youth, or, more likely, both, I think it’s ultimately a good thing that has helped a lot of people — gay and straight. Has it helped everyone? No. But nothing works perfectly and we have to keep telling our youth that it does get better, just hang on, you’ll make it through fine.
Sheldon
Joseph, the it gets better videos aren’t working at all. There have been LGBT youth who actually made them who then later killed themselves. Telling kids to completely ignore the bullies, ignore whatever mental health issues they have, etc. and instead say the mantra of ‘it gets better’ is disrespectful towards GLBT youth and all GLBT people who have ever been bullied, harassed, or bashed, or disowned by their family and kicked out of home because of their sexuality or gender.
BubbasBack
So let’s see fellas, umm, more kids keep dying by their own hands, and it gets better? For whom? For Savage! Yeap, now he’s got a TV show so he can support his own son and hubby and increase his media exposure. And the dead kids? Oh well, they’re dead. Burp.
hudson
@ Bubbas back and other fools- The nasty truth is that not every kid can be saved. Expecting Savage’s IGB campaign to solve it all is ridiculous. Even if a couple of kids are saved makes it a good thing. Dismissing this out of hand irrespective of other criticisms one may have of him, is plain foolhardy. The hating is really crazy on here. What are his critics offering up at a national level or even at a local one that is a magical panacea? It seems personal dislike is colouring perceptions.
BubbasBack
@hudson: Shucks boy, and not every fool like Savage can get a TV show, now can he? Burp.
Joseph
I realize that some kids who have posted It Get’s Better videos have killed themselves. That’s why I said it’s not perfect and hasn’t helped everyone. Please try to read before attacking me. Thanks.
hudson
@Joseph: you’re not one the fools and I wasn’t targeting you. Others are obviously so. I agree, one doesn’t have to like DS personally, his politics or views. But to dismiss him outright as others do without offering anything other than vitriole or a burp, is IMHO, simply foolish.
Jeff
it gets better is just a BS PR campaign as others have said that’s not really about helping GLBT youth or anyone that’s suicidal but about self promotion, money, a brand, fame, an MTV reality TV show, and being a media whore.
Dan Savage is the last person who should be a part of or involved with something that’s supposed to help people who are suicidal but is a complete and total failure, and he shouldn’t be involved with anything for GLBT youth. He’s hypocritical, highly transphobic, biphobic, racist, and even homophobic. He is no better than the Bachmans and is himself a grifter, and a bigoted bully.