WEBVTT

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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.

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