The San Francisco 49ers have become the first NFL team to join the It Gets Better Project, an online video project where thousands of videos condemning anti-gay bullying are curated. The 49ers’ video comes after a successful petition drive, led by fan Sean Chapin, who rallied more than 16,000 people to sign his petition on Change.org encouraging the 49ers to make a video. “With their ‘It Gets Better’ video, the 49ers are shining a golden beacon of hope to LGBT youth, and as a gay man, I enthusiastically applaud their courage and leadership,” said Chapin, who also successfully petitioned the San Francisco Giants last year to become the first Major League Baseball team in the country to make an “It Gets Better” video. “This is a proud day for San Francisco, as two of our professional teams have taken a bold stand against bullying,” said Chapin. “Let’s hope this is only the beginning, and that more NFL and professional sports teams around the country take this opportunity to speak up on behalf of LGBT fans and kids.”