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Micaela Marini Higgs is a senior at Carnegie Vanguard High School in Houston, Texas. As a Youth Leadership Council member for Texas Freedom Network in conjunction with Advocates for Youth, Micaela focuses primarily on reproductive rights and promoting comprehensive sex education.
There are a lot of things that I wish weren't the way they are. I wish DADT wasn’t even a matter of debate, but an already retired idea that everyone could look at and judge as the homophobic and terrible measure it was. I wish that our news headlines weren't filled with stories about young gay, lesbian, and queer teens committing suicide after prolonged years of bullying. I wish that I didn't have to teach people that condoms are in fact necessary to prevent diseases and unplanned pregnancies, and instead that this information was taught in schools at appropriate ages so that people could utilize and apply this information in their lives.
So it's always nice when something positive happens, and that's one of the reasons that I love the "It Gets Better" videos hundreds of people are posting on the internet. Their message acknowledges that there are struggles when it comes to living through bigotry and undeserved hate and mistreatment, but they also communicate a simple and important message - that no one should feel that they are not worthy of living, especially as a result of being tormented and teased for simply being born the way they were.
I just watched Pixar's new "It Gets Better" video clip and it reminded me that there is hope and there are people out there who care just as much as I do about these issues. I find comfort in its message and I hope that others will too.
This internet phenomenon series of "it gets better" videos are so honest, powerful, and like you say in the post couldn't come at a better time.