Elizabeth Warren sends message of hope to gay teens

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In a video published to her website, U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren urges gay teens to not give up hope even in the face of relentless bullying. Although the Harvard professor doesn’t actually use the word “gay,” her message is part of the “It Gets Better” campaign, meant to encourage LGBT youth surrounded by others who can be sometimes viciously intolerant.

“When I graduated from college, I was a school teacher, and I watched what happens in hallways, on the sidewalks, out in the school yard,” she said. “I watched kids who pushed, who bullied. I saw how much pain some kids can inflict on other kids. But you know what happens? It gets better. It gets better because you’re not alone. There are people who care about you. There are people who love you.”

She goes on to advise those pushed to the breaking point to call The Trevor Project, a suicide crisis hotline for LGBT teens.

“There are a lot of different people out there in this world, and a lot of people who celebrate those differences,” she concludes. “That’s what makes us strong. That’s what makes us exciting. So, hang in there. It gets better.”

In a recent interview with LGBT newspaper Bay Windows, she explained her opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act and pledged that she would be a champion for equality.

“The senator from Massachusetts ought to be a leader on LGBT issues,” she said. “The bully pulpit of the United States Senate creates the opportunity to call out injustice and to speak of our values in a clear voice. I would be deeply honored to represent all of the citizens of Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

This video was published to YouTube on Jan. 23, 2012.