In that particular blog I discussed the sense of isolation which is a contributing factor on why many people feel compelled to take their own life. The It Gets Better Project combats this angle.
They aim to provide an example to the LGBTA community that, no, you are not alone in this world. It also provides testimonials, a searchable events section by area code, a gift shop (that sorta acts as a suicide prevention hot line fundraiser), ways to contribute. Most importantly, it offers a phone number to a suicide prevention hot line through one of their partners.
Thank Stephen Colbert's 29 Nov interview of project founder Dan Savage for tipping me off. An interview clip is below:
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Dan Savage | ||||
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This is something I can get behind. It thinks through what can be done AFTER the day ends when we show solidarity, solidarity, solidarity for the LGBTA community.
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In other news...
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This here is Julie participating in my Abandonment project.
Weather'wise the day was absolute crap. I consider myself lucky we got even this but it certainly made it interesting. I'm pleased what I got though.
Feel free & comment away if you so desire.
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1 comment:
As someone who has ties to the NGO/non-profit world, I will say this. I do share your opinion that a lot of the gimmicks (like the purple t-shirt thing and wearing (insert color) ribbon for (insert cause) or whatever) are quite cheesy and apparently superficial.
What I’ve found is that this sort of thing is often done to get media attention in the first place and then to use that media attention to focus on the more meaningful actions, such as this It Gets Better campaign or a lobbying effort or informational thing. This is to prevent the more meaningful part from being launched in a vacuum or echo chamber. It helps them reach out beyond those who are already converted to get some of those who are sympathetic in theory but need to be made focused on it.
Unfortunately, we live in a culture where serious issues are only paid attention to when there is either a celebrity involved or a gimmick. Let me give you an example when this first hit me. In the mid-90s when I was in Africa, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines had been working on a global treaty banning mines for about 10 years. They had made little progress in getting on the public consciousness. Then, they recruited Princess Diana to go to Mozambique and Angola to visit with landmine victims. Of course, she was accompanied by a gaggle of photographers and journalists. This brought an avalanche of attention to the issue , raising the public consciousness to unprecedented levels. It created enough momentum that within a year, there was a global treaty banning the device (not signed by the US of course) and the ICBL had won the Nobel Peace Prize.
It galled me that this serious issue would never had gotten that much attention without a celebrity (and the attendant paparazzi). But sadly, that’s the way it is. I don’t think purple t-shirts or ribbons are the point. It’s gaining attention so you can create an audience for your more informational aspect. Not everyone who wears a purple t-shirt or whatever is going to become committed to the cause in question, but if even 5% of the people who do the seemingly empty gesture are so moved by the informational part that they become committed, that can make a big difference. That’s generally how things work in the “do gooder” world. I hope this makes a modicum of sense.
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