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Devin Knox is a junior at The University of Texas at Austin. Originally from the Lubbock, Devin is now a member of the Texas Youth Leadership Council – a project of Advocates for Youth and the Texas Freedom Network.
Last night when I was working on a paper and had the Colbert Report on in the background, something came on that drew my attention and I had to put my work down and watch for a few minutes. What drew my attention was the It Gets Better Project, which is aimed at young gay people who are distraught over the situation they are currently in, especially if they are being bullied, and thinking about taking their own lives. The Program tells them to hold on because life does get better.
The Project features many celebrities and prominent public figures telling homosexuals the reasons why life gets better and all they can achieve. What caught my ear the most was that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the Conservative Party David Cameron.
This intrigued me so much for two reasons. One I will be studying abroad in England where I will have an internship involving the political systems of the United Kingdom and secondly, the difference between the Right parties in the United Kingdom and The United States.
It would be hard more me to imagine many Republican leaders coming out so publicly like Cameron has for Gay Rights
In his video, he reiterates how diverse, open, and tolerant Britain is. He exclaims the achievements that the British have made for the equality of homosexuals such as legally recognized same-sex relationships, allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the military, and landmark anti-discrimination legislation. He also encourages homosexuals who have been bullied to reach out and talk to someone and not deal with this problem alone. Furthermore, he states that his government is taking on homophobic bullying and wishes to drive it out of schools.
No major Republican politician has come out in support of the It Gets Better Project. However, President Obama and Vice President Biden has already made videos in support of the project. No one, no matter what their political beliefs are, should stand by and let the bullying of homosexuals continue. For this reason, I challenge Republican leaders to join their conservative colleague David Cameron and support the It Gets Better Project.
While I am in England, I hope to learn the contrasts between our two societies and would like to be able to bring back with me a better understanding of how their society has become so much more accepting then ours.
