Following in the footsteps of Hillary Clinton, the staff of Google, and Ke$ha before him, President Obama made a video as part of Dan Savage’s “It Gets Better” YouTube initiative. In a heartfelt message to gay teens, Obama advises: “If you’re in trouble, there are caring adults” who can help. “I don’t know what it’s like to be picked on for being gay,” he explains, “but I do know what it’s like to grow up feeling like you don’t belong. It’s tough.” But it will get better, the president continues.
“There is a whole world waiting for you, filled with possibilities,” he said. “There are people out there who love you and care about you just the way you are.” (Left unsaid were the caveats: “Said possibilities do not include military service. Or getting married, so don’t get your hopes up about those people who love you just the way you are.”)
