1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,000 Like all of you, I was shocked and saddened by the deaths of
2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:05,000 several young people who were bullied and taunted for being
3 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:09,000 gay and who ultimately took their own lives.
4 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:12,000 As a parent of two daughters, it breaks my heart.
5 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:14,000 It's something that just shouldn't happen
6 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:15,000 in this country.
7 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:19,000 Now we've got to dispel this myth that bullying is just a
8 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:22,000 normal rite of passage, that it's some inevitable
9 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:24,000 part of growing up.
10 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:25,000 It's not.
11 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:29,000 We have an obligation to ensure that our schools are safe for
12 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:30,000 all of our kids.
13 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:33,000 And to every young person out there,
14 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,000 you need to know that if you're in trouble,
15 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,000 there are caring adults who can help.
16 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:43,000 I don't know what it's like to be picked on for being gay,
17 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:46,000 but I do know what it's like to grow up feeling that sometimes
18 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,000 you don't belong.
19 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,000 It's tough.
20 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:54,000 And for a lot of kids the sense of being alone or apart,
21 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,000 I know it can just wear on you.
22 00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:00,000 And when you're teased or bullied it can seem like somehow
23 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:03,000 you have brought it on yourself for being different or for not
24 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:05,000 fitting in with everybody else.
25 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,000 But what I want to say is this: You are not alone,
26 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:11,000 you didn't do anything wrong, you didn't do anything to
27 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:15,000 deserve being bullied, and there's a whole world waiting
28 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,000 for you filled with possibilities.
29 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:20,000 There are people out there that love you and care about you
30 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,000 just the way you are.
31 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:26,000 And so, if you ever feel like because of bullying,
32 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,000 because of what people are saying,
33 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:30,000 that you are getting down on yourself,
34 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,000 you've got to make sure to reach out to people you trust;
35 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,000 whether it's your parents, teachers,
36 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:40,000 or folks that you know care about you just the way you are.
37 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:41,000 You've got to reach out to them.
38 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:45,000 Don't feel like you are in this by yourself.
39 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,000 The other thing you need to know is things will get better,
40 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,000 and more than that, with time you are going to see that your
41 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:55,000 differences are a source of pride and a source of strength.
42 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:58,000 You'll look back on the struggles you've faced with
43 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,000 compassion and wisdom, and that's not just going to
44 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:04,000 serve you, but it'll help you get involved and make
45 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,000 this country a better place.
46 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,000 It will mean that you'll be more likely to help fight
47 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:14,000 discrimination, not just against LGBT Americans but
48 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,000 discrimination in all its forms.
49 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:20,000 It means you'll be more likely to understand personally and
50 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:24,000 deeply why it's so important that as adults we set an example
51 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:27,000 in our own lives and that we treat everybody with respect,
52 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:30,000 that we are able to see the world through other people's
53 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,000 eyes and stand in their shoes, that we never lose sight of
54 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,000 what binds us together.
55 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:39,000 As a nation, we're founded on the belief that all of us are
56 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,000 equal and each of us deserves the freedom to pursue our own
57 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:45,000 version of happiness, to make the most of our talents,
58 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:48,000 to speak our minds, to not fit in;
59 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,000 most of all,to be true to ourselves.
60 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:54,000 That's the freedom that enriches all of us.
61 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:57,000 That's what America is all about,
62 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,000 and every day it gets better.