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Tampa Bay Rays to film an "It Gets Better" video

They're joining Dan Savage's campaign against anti-gay bullying.

By Mitch Perry on Tue, Aug 9, 2011 at 8:54 am

“We believe in the impact these videos can have upon LGBTQ youth in all communities,” said Brian Auld, Senior Vice President of Business Operations for the Rays. “The Rays are proud to join fellow baseball clubs in taking a stand against bullying.”

The Rays announcement came after a Jacksonville resident by the name of Ben Douthett started a petition on the social activist website Change.org asking the Rays to make an “It Gets Better” video. More than 2,000 people — mostly Floridians — signed Douthett’s petition.

“We are thrilled and grateful that the Rays are joining the movement to stop the bullying of kids who are gay or perceived to be gay,” said Eden James, Director of Organizing at Change.org. “This sends a clear message of support to LGBT teens in Florida; it also helps to create a safer playing environment for LGBT athletes, from high school to professional sports.”

As Change.org states in their press release, the impact of pro sports teams producing such videos is immense, since there are currently no no openly gay athletes playing in any of the four major professional sports.

It was less than a year ago when sex columnist and provocateur Dan Savage and his husband Terry Miller founded It Gets Better, an Internet-based project in response to the suicide of gay teenagers who were bullied because they were either gay or suspected by their peers to be gay.

Savage, whose column is published weekly in CL, has said the goal has been to prevent suicide among LGBT teenagers by having gay adults record videos communicating the message to gay youth that their lives will improve.

Since then it's become a phenomenon, with over 10,000 videos recorded by politicians, celebrities and sports teams. President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, comedian Sarah Silverman are just a few of those names.

A few months ago, the San Francisco Giants became the first professional sports organization to record an "It Gets Better" video.

Now comes word that our own Tampa Bay Rays have announced their intention to record an "It Gets Better" video by late August.

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