by Johnny Murdoc
All week long I’ve had these ideas about all of the sexy blog posts that I was going to write for the SEX+STL blog. Now, it’s down to the wire and all I can think about is kind of a bummer topic, but it’s an important one.
My buddy Rob Wolfsham, a wickedly talented writer, just posted a video on-line in support of Dan Savage’s It Gets Better project. The project, aimed at giving hope to bullied gay teens around the world, features videos of gays and lesbians (and now famous actors!) talking about the positive things in theirs lives, the things that young, questioning teens have to look forward to in their life. Wolfsham’s video may seem a little sarcastic to some, but I think it perfectly exhibits both his wit and charm and nails the project’s goal on the head:
Part of me feels awkward writing about teen suicide in one of my first blog posts (way to put the “+” in “SEX+STL,” Johnny), but I think that the issue is one that illustrates just how important the discussion of sexuality is. Keeping sex in the closet has real, dire consequences and I think it’s the responsibility of all people (not just the gay ones) to be frank and candid about their lives, including their sexuality. The more honest we are about ourselves, the easier it is for those who follow us to do the same. In light of the recent rash of teen suicides, we can’t ignore the importance of discussion, of activism.
For those of you who have yet to see Dan Savage’s introductory video for the It Gets Better project, I’ll post it below. It’s a must watch video:
If you’d like to do something, I’d encourage you to record your own video for the project. You can also donate to the Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to preventing suicide in the teen LGBT community. There’s also a candlelight vigil and march planned this Thursday evening from 8:00 to 9:00 at the Trinity Luthern Church at Washington & Euclid.