It Gets Better drops new name and website to meet new challenges facing queer youth

With LGBTQ+ book bans on the rise in schools and libraries across the nation, queer youth advocacy group It Gets Better is ramping up their resources. The formerly titled It Gets Better Project has rung in 2024 with a new name, a new website, and an overall expanded mission. “Our work is no longer a project — it’s a rallying cry,” the organization wrote in a news release.

The It Gets Better Project kicked off in 2010 as social media campaign to encourage LGBTQ+ youth in the face of rising suicide rates. While suicidal ideation remains an ongoing challenge for LGBTQ+ youth, recent political attacks have targeted access to information and affirmation, and It Gets Better is changing to meet the moment.

“In the last three years in the United States alone, hundreds of bills have been introduced in dozens of states seeking to undermine the sexual orientation and/or gender identity journey of today’s youth,” the group explained. “This includes book and curriculum bans that threaten to bury the LGBTQ+ experience and restrictions on access to sports and healthcare for our beloved trans community.”

With that in mind, It Gets Better has a new resource hub at  www.ItGetsBetter.org. Here, visitors can find educational support, including a searchable glossary of LGBTQ+ terms, explainer videos and blog posts.

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“Our digital platform is crucial in reaching and empowering LGBTQ+ youth, providing a wealth of information and support, especially when their educational settings fail to do so,” Ross von Metzke, senior director of communications, told The Advocate.

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“Given the restrictions in schools on LGBTQ+ topics, it’s vital that we provide a digital space with extensive information that meets kids where they’re at in their journey.”

These days, it can seem harder than ever to believe that “it gets better” when an entire political party is making sure that life gets worse. The best way to fulfill that phrase is not to deny these attacks but to give LGBTQ+ the resources to address them.

“The phrase ‘it gets better’ might sound simplistic, especially when LGBTQ+ youth in states like Florida face daunting realities,” said von Metzke. “Our goal is to empower these young people to navigate life’s challenges with better tools and community support.”

Hence, the group’s mission has evolved. As the organization put it, “We are dropping “project” from our name to declare unequivocally that It Gets Better!”