July 27, 2011
Members of Mass. Congressional Delegation Appear in "It Gets Better" Video
Michael K. Lavers READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Members of Massachusetts' Congressional delegation appear in an "It Gets Better" video that was unveiled on Wednesday, July 27.
Senator John Kerry and Congressmembers Ed Markey, John Tierney, Jim McGovern, Bill Keating, Richard Neal, Niki Tsongas, John Olver, Mike Capuano, Stephen Lynch and Barney Frank appear in the one minute spot that directs viewers to log onto Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Youth (BAGLY)'s website.
"It'll get better than it has ever been before-in Massachusetts and across our country," said Capuano.
Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) appeared in an "It Gets Better" video titled "A Message of Hope from the United States Senate" that was released late last month. The Boston Red Sox released their own clip on July 1 after a 12-year-old fan petitioned the team.
"I liked this grassroots effort I was seeing on YouTube that was drawing everyone from the Red Sox to celebrities to just plain folks, gay and straight, and so we thought our congressional delegation should chip in too with some thoughts and support," Kerry told EDGE in a statement. "Teens need to know that they're not alone and their lives have value, and that people care about them. Folks at the BAGLY Network are working day in and day out and they're saving lives and it's just a really terrific campaign that's outside of politics and ideology."
Senator Scott Brown is conspicuously absent from the Massachusetts' Congressional delegation. He did not immediately return the Boston Globe's request for comment.
"It will get better because you're helping it to become better and this is going to be in the end the kind of world we all want to live in," said Frank, who is gay.
Log onto www.itgetsbetter.org or www.bagly.org for more information.
Based in Washington, D.C., Michael K. Lavers has appeared in the New York Times, BBC, WNYC, Huffington Post, Village Voice, Advocate and other mainstream and LGBT media outlets. He is an unapologetic political junkie who thoroughly enjoys living inside the Beltway.
