When members of Youth First Texas went to Austin in March to lobby for anti-bullying legislation, they did a better job of explaining the importance of such laws than any of the adults who were there. They were able to look senators and representatives in the eye and tell them personal experiences about having been bullied. Some of the youth told lawmakers they had attempted suicide, something that wouldn’t have happened if schools took bullying more seriously.
Walking back from the Capitol to a local church that was hosting lunch, the YFT members had an idea to make videos about their experiences. First, they sent copies to State Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, who shared them with other members of the Education Committee. But the videos also had another purpose — saving lives. While the “It Gets Better” videos are mostly adults telling teens they’ll get through their bad experiences in high school, YFT’s “You’re Not Alone” videos contain messages from LGBT youth to LGBT youth.
Watch the first set of videos from YFT’s “You’re Not Alone” project after the jump.
The most powerful thing about these videos, to me, was that they were unscripted and unrehearsed — like the stories shared in person on the trip to Austin. I cannot even begin to describe how proud I am of the youth who had the courage to share their stories in person in Austin and on video to be shared with the world. We, as adults who support and advocate for LGBTQA youth, can make every effort within our power but we will never have messages as powerful as those of the LGBTQA youth themselves.
Jeremy Liebbe
Board of Directors, Youth First Texas