Sex advice columnist and gay rights activist Dan Savage has launched a YouTube channel called "It Gets Better." He's soliciting videos from fans who want to provide support and encouragement to gay teens who face adversity, discrimination and bullying in high school.

Savage announced the new channel today in episode 205 of his podcast. He's also hinted on his blog that further explanation will come in the next issue of his sex advice column "Savage Love." The channel was created after Indiana teenager Billy Lucas committed suicide in response to bullying from his classmates, who assaulted him with epithets and told him to go home and kill himself because he was gay.

Each video will feature a role model sharing personal experiences that illustrate that life for gays and lesbians improves beyond high school. That's a theme that has come up in Savage's columns and podcasts with regularity. Gay teens have written or called Savage in distress, saying they feel isolated and discriminated against by their peers — especially in rural schools. Savage has generally responded that they just need to stay strong and hopeful because when they become adults they'll have the option of moving to more progressive communities and joining more accepting social groups.

Since not every teenager facing these challenges is going to write in for advice, and since many rural schools don't offer programs to support gay and lesbian teens, Savage launched the channel to reach more people in need of support. He and his husband made the first video (embedded below), and future videos will be picked from user submissions.

It Gets Better Debut Video





