Two joined hands, painted with a rainbow design After a rash of gay suicides in September 2010, Dan Savage, author and gay rights advocate, accidentally started a worldwide phenomenon. In the aftermath of these suicides, Dan Savage and his partner uploaded a video to YouTube trying to tell young bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgendered, transsexual, and queer-identified (BGLTQ) youth that it does get better after high school (It Gets Better - Dan and Terry). Within days, the video went viral and within a month, videos were created by a range of celebrities and political figures, including Anne Hathaway, Jenny McCarthy, Rex Lee, Michael Chiklis, the employees at Google, the employees at Facebook, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, and President Barak Obama. By Spring 2011, over 50,000 "It Gets Better" videos were uploaded on the Internet account to more than 50 million viewers. In September 2012, the It Gets Better campaign received an Emmy Award "strategically, creatively and powerfully utilizing the media to educate and inspire."
Go watch a range of videos from the It Gets Better website. Watch at least five videos and remember to post the links to each video on Blackboard for others to see. Try to view a range of both celebrity and non-celebrity videos. After watching the videos, answer the following questions:
1. What techniques of dominance were alluded to in people's narratives? Please be specific and refer to the specific videos you've watched to help illustrate your thoughts.
2. How has systematic oppression of BGLTQ individuals in the world led to the necessity of the It Gets Better campaign?
3. One critique of the It Gets Better campaign has been that it doesn't take into account the unique experiences of persons of color. After viewing a range of videos (watch three at a minimum), would you agree or disagree with the notion that the It Gets Better campaign is unintentionally hegemonic? Why?
Once you've answered the questions, please read your peers' responses to these questions. While responding to at least two of your peers, look for areas of agreement and disagreement and respectfully discuss these with your peers effectively and accurately.