Story updated Oct. 13.
In light of the recent LGBT suicides that have gained national media attention, the combined staffs of ICTV and WICB/VIC Radio produced a multimedia presentation called “It Gets Better” this week in the Roy H. Park School of Communications.
Students were invited to bring attention to suicide awareness and bullying by telling their personal stories on camera or simply by saying “It Gets Better” throughout the day Monday.
Senior Matthew Timmons, who helped coordinate the event, said it is an appropriate message for the college community to convey.
“We were ranked one of the gay-friendliest schools,” he said. “We are one of the leaders in communication. So it seems only logical that we stand up and talk about something that has something to do with both the Internet and LGBT issues.”
The national “It Gets Better” campaign was started by columnist Dan Savage and began as an LGBT suicide prevention effort in which celebrities posted videos on YouTube to discuss their experiences with LGBT suicide. Those that participated also reassured viewers that suicide was not the solution to their problems.
Now non-celebrities also post videos in support of this campaign, which endorses the Trevor Project, a national LGBT suicide hotline. Celebrities that have posted videos for the campaign include Idina Menzel, Lily Tomlin, Elton John, Ricky Martin, Judith Light and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
