Texas councilman makes heart-wrenching plea for young people not to cave in to bullying about their sexuality

Councilman Joel Burns is not a household name in the US, nor in Texas. Maybe not even in his constituency of Fort Worth. But a highly personal and emotional speech he made urging gay teenagers to resist the pressures of bullying will hopefully see his name and message enter the common consciousness.

At a council meeting on Tuesday, Burns used his spot to address the bullying of gay teenagers, citing a number of victims who have killed themselves, including Tyler Clementi. After relaying the tragic stories of a number of young male suicides, he began telling his own story as a 13-year-old who felt "ashamed, humiliated and confused" after being taunted by bullies.

He went on to make a deeply moving plea to gay teenagers who are the victims of bullying not to give up on life, using his own experience as he got older – his marriage to another man he loves and acceptance from his "tough cowboy" dad – as an example.

"Yes high school was difficult, coming out was painful but life got so much better for me," he said. "Things will get easier. Please stick around to make those happy moments for yourself."

But written words do not do it justice; watch the video.