Picture This! It Gets Better
May 17, 2012
Today is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (#IDAHO) – a date that I didn’t know about until recently. Today is also the launch date our latest project for the It Gets Better Campaign. Watch it HERE.
Three months ago we were invited to a meeting with TD Bank’s diversity team. I assumed we’d be talking about cultural diversity. Instead, we were greeted by TD’s LGBT committee.
The project: speaking to young gay people and their allies, first about bullying and then about the important role an ally played in their lives.
Not exactly the type of project that you expect a bank to undertake.
It was a powerful experience for all of us – because I think it helped us consider our own role around LGBT issues, especially when it comes to young people.
I think that most of us have been bullied at some point in our lives. For me, it was being 14 and having a severe case of cystic acne and a dermatologist named Dr. Wurm. I looked (and felt) different from every other kid. Every smart-ass comment burned. I hated being 14.
Speaking to our subjects and hearing their stories of being in middle school reminded me of those feelings. The difference – while I might have gotten the odd dig about my looks, the average gay teen receives 26 anti-gay slurs a day. Talk about wanting to shrivel up and hide under a rock.
Another devastating statistic – 25% of gay kids are rejected by their parents. As a parent, I find this stat really hard to believe. I can’t imagine how lonely it must be to feel that you are different and wonder if your family will reject you if you come out.
On a positive note, the young people we spoke to talked about how important it was to have an ally to share their feelings with; whether it’s a parent, friend, teacher or someone they’re close to. All of us can play a role with vulnerable kids, even something as simple as a few well-timed words or a hug. If you see bullying taking place, sure you can ignore it – but I feel that ignoring it is pretty much the same as giving license to a bully or bullies. So, to paraphrase Jimmy in the video, “Stand up.”
It’s too easy to turn your back and assume that kids will work it out themselves. Sometimes that doesn’t happen.
Make it Better.
Lots of thanks to go around. Great job by Menaka Mallikage in designing the look and feel of the video. Great shooting by James Judges, and from our New York crew: Greta Knutzen, Ezra Bookstein and team. Editor Matthew Campea did a wonderful job putting it all together in a short time frame. Yes – there were a couple of late nights!
Also thanks to TD Bank’s LGBT team: Jimmy, Jocelyn, Kate, Larry, Marc, Roberta, Ron, Ryan et al.
And finally, thanks to TD Bank and CEO Ed Clark. It’s great to see an organization like TD taking a leadership position on an issue like this, both in Canada and in the United States.
Visit Picture This! to read more blogs by Richard.
