Growing Up Gay in the South

Growing Up Gay in the South

The viral “It Gets Better” campaign, fronted by advice columnist Dan Savage and championed by blogger Perez Hilton, is a direct response to the recent tragic suicides of gay teens who have suffered extreme bullying at the hands of their straight peers. The viral campaign’s videos feature celebrities, activists, politicians (including Barack Obama), and everyday people reaching out to LGBT teens to say that while things may seem hopeless for them now, things do in fact get better.

We applaud those doing their part to help end teen bullying, but we also think it's important to look for examples of teens living proud, brave lives and believe that their lives can provide as much hope to fellow teens as the words of celebrities and politicians.

For the March 2008 issue of Out, photographer Danielle Levitt traveled to Savannah, Ga., to meet and photograph 12 LGBT teens who allowed her to take an unfiltered look at their lives through her lens. May their unapologetic approach to living be an inspiration to us all.

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