It Gets Better Project
Corporate brand
UnclaimedAn international nonprofit movement that supports and empowers LGBTQ+ youth through storytelling, education, community programs, and direct resources.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
It Gets Better, originally known as the It Gets Better Project, is a United States–based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and international storytelling movement focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth. Its central message is that young people experiencing anti-LGBTQ+ bullying, isolation, or discrimination can build safer, happier, and more fulfilling lives. The organization combines personal testimony with educational programs, grants, media production, community partnerships, and youth-support services. Dan Savage founded the project on September 1, 2010, after a series of highly publicized suicides involving teenagers who had been bullied because they were gay or were perceived to be gay. Savage, a writer and activist, initially encouraged LGBT adults and allies to record short online videos explaining how their lives improved after adolescence. The idea rapidly developed into a global participatory campaign. Thousands of individuals, families, public figures, educators, companies, and institutions contributed messages, creating a large archive of first-person accounts. According to descriptions of the project, the video collection eventually exceeded 50,000 entries and accumulated more than 50 million views. The campaign gained visibility through contributions from figures including then-President Barack Obama, whose October 2010 video addressed bullying and the responsibility of schools and adults to protect young people. Google Chrome promoted the project through its YouTube channel and a television advertisement, helping move the initiative from an online response to a widely recognized public-awareness campaign. The organization also developed media and publishing extensions. An essay collection edited by Dan Savage and Terry Miller was published by E. P. Dutton in March 2011 and became a New York Times bestseller. Two one-hour television specials aired on MTV and Logo in 2012. Over time, It Gets Better expanded beyond inspirational testimony. Its work has included school and community grants, educational materials, youth-centered storytelling, advocacy, and partnerships with affiliate organizations. Affiliates in Latin America have operated services such as Hora Segura, which provides scheduled psychological support through volunteer professionals and digital platforms. The broader network has supported local responses to bullying, conversion therapy, discrimination, and mental-health challenges while adapting programs to national contexts. The organization received the Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences at the 64th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for its strategic and creative use of media to educate and inspire. Since 2022, it has distributed approximately $1.5 million to middle and high schools in the United States and Canada for projects intended to uplift and empower LGBTQ+ students. In 2023, it became one of several LGBTQ+ nonprofits to leave Twitter/X, citing concerns about hate speech and misinformation directed at queer and transgender youth. In 2024, it dropped the word “Project” from its public name to reflect its evolution from a viral video campaign into a broader support system. The organization remains active as It Gets Better.
History
It Gets Better emerged in the United States during a period of intense public attention to bullying and the suicides of LGBTQ+ or perceived-LGBTQ+ teenagers. Dan Savage responded to the death of Billy Lucas in his Savage Love column by expressing the wish that he could have told Lucas that life could improve. Savage and his husband, Terry Miller, then developed the idea of asking LGBT adults to record brief online messages for young people facing harassment or isolation. The project launched on September 1, 2010, and quickly became a participatory media campaign rather than a single-author advocacy effort. Contributors described their experiences of coming out, finding friends and partners, building careers, and creating supportive communities. The campaign's message was not intended to dismiss present dangers; rather, it sought to give young people evidence that adolescence does not define the whole of an LGBTQ+ person's life and that supportive adults and services exist. The initiative expanded rapidly through celebrity participation and institutional support. Barack Obama recorded a message in October 2010, and Google Chrome promoted the project's online video presence and aired a related advertisement. The project also moved into print and television. In March 2011, E. P. Dutton released It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living, edited by Savage and Miller. The collection included more than 100 essays, some adapted from videos and others written specifically for the book. It reached the New York Times bestseller list. MTV and Logo broadcast two one-hour specials in 2012. The project's public recognition continued when the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences awarded it the Governor's Award at the 64th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. The award acknowledged the campaign's strategic and creative use of media for education and inspiration. As the organization matured, its scope broadened beyond a repository of personal stories. It developed international affiliates and local partnerships in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Some affiliates created services tailored to local needs. In Peru, Chile, and Mexico, Hora Segura offered scheduled access to volunteer psychological professionals through digital channels; the precise delivery methods varied by country. The Chilean affiliate Todo Mejora also participated in a 2013 coalition focused on sexual diversity and public policy. In the United States and Canada, the organization has supported schools and youth programs through grants. Since 2022, it has reported distributing approximately $1.5 million to middle and high schools for initiatives designed to strengthen LGBTQ+ student belonging and empowerment. The organization has also remained involved in advocacy, including support for efforts to prohibit conversion therapy in Canada. In 2018, It Gets Better Canada launched a nationwide petition that collected more than 58,000 signatures. The project's relationship with digital platforms has changed as the social-media environment evolved. In 2023, It Gets Better joined other LGBTQ+ nonprofits in leaving Twitter/X, citing the platform's increased exposure to hate speech and misinformation targeting queer and trans youth. In 2024, it shortened its public name to It Gets Better. The change reflected an institutional transition from a single viral campaign into a wider organization combining storytelling, education, grants, advocacy, and youth-support infrastructure.
- 2024
Public name shortened to It Gets Better
[1]The organization removed “Project” from its public name as part of its broader institutional positioning.
- 2023
Withdrawal from Twitter/X
[1]It Gets Better left the platform because of concerns about hate speech and misinformation aimed at queer and transgender youth.
- 2022
School grant distribution expands
[1]The organization began reporting approximately $1.5 million in grants distributed since 2022 to middle and high schools in the United States and Canada.
- 2018
Canadian conversion-therapy petition launched
[1]It Gets Better Canada launched a petition calling for a national ban on conversion therapy; it gathered more than 58,000 signatures.
- 2013
Chilean affiliate joins sexual-diversity coalition
[1]Todo Mejora joined six other LGBTQ+ organizations in forming Chile's Front for Sexual Diversity.
- 2012
Television specials broadcast
[1]MTV and Logo aired two one-hour specials based on the project's message and mission.
- 2012
Governor's Award received
[1]The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences honored the project for its media and educational impact.
- 2011
Essay book released
[1]An edited collection of more than 100 essays was published by E. P. Dutton and later appeared on the New York Times bestseller list.
- 2010
Project founded
[1]Dan Savage founded the project on September 1 in response to suicides and bullying affecting LGBTQ+ teenagers.
- 2010
Barack Obama contributes a video
[1]The then-U.S. president recorded a message rejecting bullying as a normal or inevitable part of childhood.
Products and positioning
A global LGBTQ+ youth empowerment nonprofit positioned around hope, lived experience, community connection, anti-bullying education, and practical support.
Digital storytelling platform · 2010
It Gets Better video archive
The original and most recognizable offering is a large collection of first-person videos from LGBTQ+ people and allies. Contributors discuss bullying, coming out, relationships, family, work, community, and long-term wellbeing. The archive translates personal experience into an accessible form of peer encouragement and has served as the foundation for the organization's public identity.
Book · 2011
It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living
Edited by Dan Savage and Terry Miller, this 2011 essay collection extends the online campaign into print. It contains more than 100 contributions, including material adapted from videos and original essays by writers, artists, entertainers, and advocates. The book presents varied accounts of surviving difficult adolescence and creating meaningful adult lives.
Television programming · 2012
It Gets Better TV specials
Two one-hour specials broadcast by MTV and Logo in 2012 brought the project's stories and anti-bullying message to television. The programs functioned as mass-media extensions of the online campaign and emphasized encouragement, visibility, and support for LGBTQ+ youth.
Youth-support program · 2022
School and community grants
The organization provides funding for projects in middle schools, high schools, and communities that aim to make LGBTQ+ students feel safer, more connected, and more empowered. Reported grant activity since 2022 has covered programs in the United States and Canada.
Mental-health support service
Hora Segura
Several Latin American affiliates operate Hora Segura, or Safe Hour, as scheduled access to volunteer professionals offering free psychological support. Delivery differs by country: Chile has used an application, Mexico has used Messenger, and Peru has used Messenger and WhatsApp.
Marketing campaigns
- 2022School empowerment grants
United States · Canada
The organization expanded financial support for school projects designed to uplift and empower LGBTQ+ students.
Outcome. Approximately $1.5 million was reported as distributed from 2022 onward.
- 2018Canadian conversion-therapy petition
Canada
It Gets Better Canada called for a nationwide prohibition on conversion therapy and collected more than 58,000 signatures.
Outcome. Became a significant public advocacy effort by the Canadian affiliate.
- 2011Google Chrome promotion
United States
Google Chrome promoted the project's YouTube presence and aired an advertisement supporting its anti-bullying message.
Outcome. Expanded awareness beyond the project's existing online audience.
- 2010It Gets Better video campaign
United States · International
The founding campaign asked LGBTQ+ adults and allies to create messages for young people experiencing bullying or isolation. It grew into a large international storytelling archive with participation from public figures, organizations, and ordinary contributors.
Outcome. Established the organization's global identity and generated tens of thousands of videos.
Brand decisions
2024
Rename the organization as It Gets BetterStrategyBackground
The organization described its development from a viral video movement into a more comprehensive support system for queer youth.
Action taken
It dropped “Project” from its public name.
Aftermath
The shorter name presents the organization as an ongoing institution rather than only a discrete campaign.
2023
Leave Twitter/XStrategyBackground
The organization said that the platform had become increasingly associated with hate speech and misinformation targeting queer and transgender young people.
Action taken
It Gets Better withdrew from Twitter/X along with other LGBTQ+ nonprofits.
Aftermath
The decision reflected a shift toward communications environments considered more consistent with youth safety and the organization's mission.
Recent events
Reported
StreamElements announces partnership with It Gets Better Project[3]
StreamElements announced a partnership with the It Gets Better Project as part of an LGBTQIA+ initiative that includes a donation, merchandise, creator-support tools and graphics, and creator spotlights.
Reported
Funko introduces Pride 2020 Pop figure collection[4]
Funko introduced a Pride-themed Pop figure collection featuring Batman, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Hello Kitty figures with rainbow coloring; pre-orders were live and shipping was slated for July.
Sources4 sources
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