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Like all of you, I was shocked and saddened by the deaths of
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several young people who were bullied and taunted for being
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gay and who ultimately took their own lives.
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As a parent of two daughters, it breaks my heart.
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It's something that just shouldn't happen
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in this country.
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Now we've got to dispel this myth that bullying is just a
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normal rite of passage, that it's some inevitable
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part of growing up.
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It's not.
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We have an obligation to ensure that our schools are safe for
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all of our kids.
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And to every young person out there,
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you need to know that if you're in trouble,
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there are caring adults who can help.
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I don't know what it's like to be picked on for being gay,
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but I do know what it's like to grow up feeling that sometimes
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you don't belong.
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It's tough.
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And for a lot of kids the sense of being alone or apart,
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I know it can just wear on you.
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And when you're teased or bullied it can seem like somehow
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you have brought it on yourself for being different or for not
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fitting in with everybody else.
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But what I want to say is this: You are not alone,
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you didn't do anything wrong, you didn't do anything to
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deserve being bullied, and there's a whole world waiting
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for you filled with possibilities.
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There are people out there that love you and care about you
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just the way you are.
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And so, if you ever feel like because of bullying,
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because of what people are saying,
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that you are getting down on yourself,
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you've got to make sure to reach out to people you trust;
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whether it's your parents, teachers,
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or folks that you know care about you just the way you are.
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You've got to reach out to them.
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Don't feel like you are in this by yourself.
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The other thing you need to know is things will get better,
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and more than that, with time you are going to see that your
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differences are a source of pride and a source of strength.
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You'll look back on the struggles you've faced with
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compassion and wisdom, and that's not just going to
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serve you, but it'll help you get involved and make
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this country a better place.
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It will mean that you'll be more likely to help fight
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discrimination, not just against LGBT Americans but
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discrimination in all its forms.
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It means you'll be more likely to understand personally and
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deeply why it's so important that as adults we set an example
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in our own lives and that we treat everybody with respect,
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that we are able to see the world through other people's
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eyes and stand in their shoes, that we never lose sight of
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what binds us together.
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As a nation, we're founded on the belief that all of us are
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equal and each of us deserves the freedom to pursue our own
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version of happiness, to make the most of our talents,
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to speak our minds, to not fit in;
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most of all,to be true to ourselves.
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That's the freedom that enriches all of us.
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That's what America is all about,
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and every day it gets better.