It Gets Better Coming Out Overcoming Bullying & Creating a Life Worth Living

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After a number of tragic suicides by LGBT students who were bullied in school, syndicated columnist and author Dan Savage uploaded a video to YouTube with his partner Terry Miller to inspire hope for LGBT youth facing harassment. Speaking openly about the bullying they suffered as teenagers, and how they both went on to lead rewarding adult lives, their video launched the It Gets Better Project YouTube channel and initiated a worldwide phenomenon. With over 6,000 videos posted and over 20 million views in the first three months alone, the world has embraced the opportunity to provide personal, honest and heartfelt support for LGBT youth everywhere.

It Gets Better is a collection of expanded essays and new material from celebrities, everyday people and teens who have posted videos of encouragement, as well as new contributors who have yet to post videos to the site. While many of these teens couldn't see a positive future for themselves, we can. We can show LGBT youth the levels of happiness, potential and positivity their lives will reach if they can just get through their teen years. By sharing these stories, It Gets Better reminds teenagers in the LGBT community that they are not alone - and it WILL get better.

and#8212;Kirkus Reviews

and#8220;[A] moving account of a familyand#8217;s journey to raise and protect their gay sonand#8230; Equally humorous and heartrending, this memoir reveals just what it takes to raise children who are different in a world still resistant.and#8221;

and#8212;Publishers Weekly

and#8220;John Schwartz and Jeanne Mixon are the heroes of Oddly Normal.and#160; Still, the star of the book is Joe.and#160; Itand#8217;s impossible not to fall in love with a kid who, even amid his torment, displays such droll humor and fierce intelligence.and#8221;

and#8212;The New York Times Book Review

and#8220;Schwartz writes a poignant and well-documented account of what it meant to be a father who had tried all he could to make his son feel comfortable, but still came terrifyingly close to losing him.and#8221;

and#8212;The Daily Texan

and#8220;An inspiring story, and much needed at a time when so many others end tragically.and#8221;

and#8212;ModernTonic.com

and#8220;Oddly Normal chronicles the Schwartz familyand#8217;s mistakes, heartaches and triumphs in raising a child coming to grips with his sexuality.and#8221;

and#8212;Mother Jones Magazine

and#8220;Oddly Normal is a funny, touching and indispensible book. Moving as well as buoyant, it will give parents of gay children a great deal of hope.and#8221;

and#8212;Gary Shteyngart, New York Times bestselling author of Super Sad True Love Story

and#8220;John Schwartz has written a moving and important memoir about the challenges that even the most enlightened parents face when bringing up a gay son. Combining personal experiences with rigorous reporting, Oddly Normal will be tremendously useful to anyone raising a child perceived as different.and#8221;

and#8212;Charles Kaiser, author of The Gay Metropolis

and#8220;John Schwartz shares his familyand#8217;s bumpy journey with humor, a journalistand#8217;s eye for detail, and a generous honesty of emotion.and#8221;

and#8212;Jennifer Pizer, Senior Counsel and Director of the Law and Policy Project at Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund

and#8220;Oddly Normal is a book for parents, teachers, and anyone who works with children. Mr. Schwartz illustrates how even the most accepting parents often need assistance staying engaged, to best help a child who is not fitting inand#8212;in fact, there is a little bit of Joseph Schwartz in every kid.and#8221;

and#8212;Joseph Clementi, founder of the Tyler Clementi Foundation

and#8220;Jeanne and John Schwartz are inspiring parental role models, and Iand#8217;m sure Iand#8217;ll think of them oftenand#8230;and#8221;

and#8212;Slate.com and#160; and#8220;Schwartz, an ace reporter for theand#160;New York Times, peppers his emotional response with vital research and telling anecdotes.and#8221;

and#8212;Queerty.com

and#8220;Schwartz's memoir is brave and beautiful, surprising and inspiring, a testament to parents' endless determination to help their children, and the bottomless capacity for love.and#8221;

and#8212;CNN.com

and#160;

and#8220;[A] very personal, touching, funny and frank memoir. Anyone with a teenager, gay or straight, will be able to relate to a parent's struggle when dealing with their troubled child.and#8221;

and#8212;USATODAY.com

and#160;

and#8212;Kirkus Reviews

and#8220;[A] moving account of a familyand#8217;s journey to raise and protect their gay sonand#8230; Equally humorous and heartrending, this memoir reveals just what it takes to raise children who are different in a world still resistant.and#8221;

and#8212;Publishers Weekly

and#8220;John Schwartz and Jeanne Mixon are the heroes of Oddly Normal.and#160; Still, the star of the book is Joe.and#160; Itand#8217;s impossible not to fall in love with a kid who, even amid his torment, displays such droll humor and fierce intelligence.and#8221;

and#8212;The New York Times Book Review

and#8220;Schwartz writes a poignant and well-documented account of what it meant to be a father who had tried all he could to make his son feel comfortable, but still came terrifyingly close to losing him.and#8221;

and#8212;The Daily Texan

and#8220;An inspiring story, and much needed at a time when so many others end tragically.and#8221;

and#8212;ModernTonic.com

and#8220;Oddly Normal chronicles the Schwartz familyand#8217;s mistakes, heartaches and triumphs in raising a child coming to grips with his sexuality.and#8221;

and#8212;Mother Jones Magazine

and#8220;Oddly Normal is a funny, touching and indispensible book. Moving as well as buoyant, it will give parents of gay children a great deal of hope.and#8221;

and#8212;Gary Shteyngart, New York Times bestselling author of Super Sad True Love Story

and#8220;John Schwartz has written a moving and important memoir about the challenges that even the most enlightened parents face when bringing up a gay son. Combining personal experiences with rigorous reporting, Oddly Normal will be tremendously useful to anyone raising a child perceived as different.and#8221;

and#8212;Charles Kaiser, author of The Gay Metropolis

and#8220;John Schwartz shares his familyand#8217;s bumpy journey with humor, a journalistand#8217;s eye for detail, and a generous honesty of emotion.and#8221;

and#8212;Jennifer Pizer, Senior Counsel and Director of the Law and Policy Project at Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund

and#8220;Oddly Normal is a book for parents, teachers, and anyone who works with children. Mr. Schwartz illustrates how even the most accepting parents often need assistance staying engaged, to best help a child who is not fitting inand#8212;in fact, there is a little bit of Joseph Schwartz in every kid.and#8221;

and#8212;Joseph Clementi, founder of the Tyler Clementi Foundation

and#8220;Jeanne and John Schwartz are inspiring parental role models, and Iand#8217;m sure Iand#8217;ll think of them oftenand#8230;and#8221;

and#8212;Slate.com and#160; and#8220;Schwartz, an ace reporter for theand#160;New York Times, peppers his emotional response with vital research and telling anecdotes.and#8221;

and#8212;Queerty.com

and#8220;Schwartz's memoir is brave and beautiful, surprising and inspiring, a testament to parents' endless determination to help their children, and the bottomless capacity for love.and#8221;

and#8212;CNN.com

and#160;

and#8220;[A] very personal, touching, funny and frank memoir. Anyone with a teenager, gay or straight, will be able to relate to a parent's struggle when dealing with their troubled child.and#8221;

and#8212;USATODAY.com

and#160;

A heartfelt memoir by the father of a gay teen, and an eye-opening story for families who hope to bring up well-adjusted gay adults.

Three years ago, John Schwartz, a national correspondent at The New York Times, got the call that every parent hopes never to receive: his thirteen-year-old son, Joe, was in the hospital following a failed suicide attempt. After mustering the courage to come out to his classmates, Joeandrsquo;s disclosure andmdash; delivered in a tirade about homophobic attitudesandmdash;was greeted with dismay and confusion by his fellow students. Hours later, he took an overdose of pills.

and#160;

Additionally, John and his wife, Jeanne, found that their sonandrsquo;s school was unable to address Joeandrsquo;s special needs. Angry and frustrated, they initiated their own search for services and groups that could help Joe understand that he wasnandrsquo;t alone. Oddly Normal is Schwartzandrsquo;s very personal attempt to address his familyandrsquo;s own struggles within a culture that is changing fast, but not fast enough to help gay kids like Joe.

Schwartz follows Joseph through childhood to the present day, interweaving his narrative with common questions, including: Are effeminate boys and tomboy girls necessarily gay? Is there a relationship between being gay and suicide or mental illness? Should a child be pushed into coming out? Parents, teachers, and counselors alike will welcome Oddly Normal and its crucial lessons about helping gay kids andndash;and any kid who is different -- learn how to cope in a potentially hostile world.

and#160;

Every story can change a life.

Growing up isn't easy. Many young people face daily tormenting and bullying, and this is especially true for LGBT kids and teens. In response to a number of tragic suicides by LGBT students, syndicated columnist and author Dan Savage uploaded a video to YouTube with his partner, Terry Miller. Speaking openly about the bullying they suffered, and how they both went on to lead rewarding adult lives, their video launched the It Gets Better Project YouTube channel and initiated a worldwide phenomenon.

It Gets Better is a collection of original essays and expanded testimonials written to teens from celebrities, political leaders, and everyday people, because while many LGBT teens can't see a positive future for themselves, we can.

A heartfelt memoir by the father of a gay teen, and an eye-opening guide for families who hope to bring up well-adjusted gay adults.

Three years ago, John Schwartz, a national correspondent at The New York Times, got the call that every parent hopes never to receive: his thirteen-year-old son, Joe, was in the hospital following a failed suicide attempt. After finally mustering the courage to come out to his classmates, Joeandrsquo;s disclosure andmdash; delivered in a tirade about homophobic attitudesandmdash;was greeted with dismay and confusion by his fellow students. Hours later, he took an overdose of pills.

In the aftermath, John and his wife, Jeanne, found that their sonandrsquo;s school was unable to address Joeandrsquo;s special needs. Angry and frustrated, they initiated their own search for services and groups that could help Joe understand that he wasnandrsquo;t alone. Oddly Normal is Schwartzandrsquo;s very personal attempt to address his familyandrsquo;s own struggles within a culture that is changing fast, but not fast enough to help gay kids like Joe.

Schwartz follows Joseph through childhood to the present day, interweaving his narrative with common questions, including: Are effeminate boys and tomboy girls necessarily gay? Is there a relationship between being gay and suicide or mental illness? Should a child be pushed into coming out? Parents, teachers, and counselors alike will welcome Oddly Normal and its crucial lessons about helping gay kids andndash;and any kid who is different -- learn how to cope in a potentially hostile world.

and#160;