In September 2010, in response to a rash of suicides that claimed the lives of several LGBTQ+ youth, Dan Savage and his partner Terry Miller posted the first It Gets Better video on YouTube, urging young LGBTQ+ people to stay true to themselves despite bullying and other challenges of adolescence.

The message was simple – no matter how difficult things may be, it can get better. Those words, and the sentiment behind them, went viral, inspiring more than 70,000 people to share their personal stories of resilience and triumph — everyday folks, but also celebrities like Kelly Clarkson, Adam Lambert, Ellen DeGeneres, Laverne Cox, Gabrielle Union, Gigi Gorgeous, Zachary Qunto, Neil Patrick Harris… even presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The result propelled It Gets Better to become the world’s largest storytelling effort to uplift and empower LGBTQ+ youth.

Location: Global

Founded: 2010

Official Website: itgetsbetter.org