In 2025, LGBTQ+ youth need your energy more than ever!

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Hi John,

Between the holidays and the new year, the world seems to slow down. What better way to spend this rare moment of pause than immersing yourself in stories of strength, resilience, and LGBTQ+ youth joy?

We’re calling these next six days our Joyathon — a purposeful pause to reflect, recharge, and channel joy into action. These stories aren’t just about joy; they’re about incredible young people defying the odds, rewriting the rules, and proving that tomorrow’s leaders are already changing the world for the better today.

At It Gets Better, we don’t just share these stories — we amplify them on a global scale, create opportunities for queer youth to lead, and provide resources that help them thrive in school, online, and beyond.

Right now, we’re 70% of the way to our goal of raising $150,000 by midnight on December 31. Over the next six days, we need to raise about $45,000 to reach the finish line.

This is your chance [[link removed]] to make sure queer youth don’t just survive — they thrive [[link removed]]. And heading into 2025, that’s more important than ever.

This week, as you reflect, recharge, and prepare for what’s next, we’re bringing you stories to remind you that joy isn’t just a feeling — it’s a force. No matter how much people in power try to legislate and discriminate against queer youth, they can NEVER take away their joy. We won’t let them.

When LGBTQ+ youth claim their space and share their stories, they’re leading a quiet rebellion against a world that underestimates them. These stories are your chance to witness that power — and help us keep it growing.

So far in our Joy Rebellion, you’ve heard from Mia, a Texas teen who found joy in embracing “my queer identity, Black identity, my Muslim identity, my non-binary identity — all my identities together” with the help of It Gets Better. College freshman Jeremy channels their joy into activism, inspired by “working with It Gets Better and being around so many other queer youth.” And for 16-year-old Marlin, art has been his joy, especially in collaboration with It Gets Better during the election.

Joy is limitless and comes in many forms. Over the next six days, you'll hear from queer youth, It Gets Better staff members, students and teachers whose lives have been forever changed because of It Gets Better.

We must keep going! Donate today! Together, we can cultivate joy and make it through what promises to be a challenging 2025. [[link removed]]

Take this week to soak in the brilliance of LGBTQ+ youth. Then, click the button and donate [[link removed]]. Plus, when you give $75 or more before December 31, we'll send you a free copy of our new interactive card game, Perfectly Queer.

Let’s head into the new year strong, resilient, and ready to uplift queer youth everywhere.

With gratitude,

Ross W. von Metzke (he/him)

Sr. Director, Communications & PR

It Gets Better

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The It Gets Better Project is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth around the globe. All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

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