Hello John -
Today, we’re kicking off our 2022 Better Everyday end-of-year giving campaign, highlighting the many ways we’re committed to making things better for LGBTQ+ youth. As an organization dedicated to uplifting and empowering LGBTQ+ youth, we asked one of our Youth Voices ambassadors to get things started and share their story. Meet Chloe.
Hi. My name is Chloe, I use they/them pronouns, and I live in North Carolina.
Beginning in 2020, I became really uncomfortable with myself — I was fighting with myself and telling myself “I was wrong” or “I was bad” for not being part of this heteronormative idea that everyone else seemed to be doing, that seemed to be “right.” I was bringing myself down with a lot of internalized self-destruction. It was a really tough time.
In early 2021, I started to feel more comfortable with myself, exploring more definitions and intersectionalities that I felt I identified with. I began writing poetry and exploring different art mediums to get out some of those trapped, underlying emotions — things that needed to be released. This is around when I found the It Gets Better Project on Instagram. The Youth Voices program came up as a suggestion along with a lot of the art creatives I followed. I was like, “I might as well apply. Where could it go wrong?”
I just started my second year as a Youth Voices ambassador, and the most exciting part is the opportunity to connect with other people that are similar to you, but not exactly the same. I’ve learned that it is okay to be me and I don’t have to conform to what everybody else is doing.
I’ve been able to have conversations about identity and acknowledge certain words and pronouns and describe how they best fit me. I’ve been able to talk about mental health and work on projects like imi, a mental health resource for LGBTQ+ youth.
I know the hard times don’t stop here, but It Gets Better changed everything for me. It gave me a resource, it gave me a foundation, it gave me community, it gave me other LGBTQ+ friends my own age. It gave me EVERYTHING.
This is why I’m so happy to help kick off this year’s Better Everyday campaign. The It Gets Better Project has a goal of raising $200,000 between now and the end of the year. Please consider making a donation.
Your support today will help change lives. I know that because It Gets Better changed my life.
Chloe, Age 15
Youth Voices ambassador, Class of 2023
It Gets Better Project
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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