The San Francisco Police Department has
recorded a video for the It Gets Better campaign.
The It
Gets Better Project encourages bullied LGBT teens considering
suicide to hang in there, because life eventually gets better.
In the nearly 9 minute video, employees
of the department discuss what it was like for them growing up and
how they came out to family, friends and co-workers.
“I didn't really have any positive
gay role models that I thought were out there,” a female police
officer says.
“All of the imagery that was
associated with gays or lesbians was the limp-wristed hairdresser.”
“Someone that you were supposed to
laugh at or someone that was to be ridiculed,” a male officer says.
“So I didn't have anything that
showed me that it was okay to be who I am,” a female officer adds.
“I expected my father to have a very
different reaction than he did,” a female commander says. “He
looked up at me and he said, 'Are you happy?' And I said, 'Yes.'
Then he just looked down and said, 'Then who gives a shit.'” (The
video is embedded in the right panel of this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)
(Related: Adam
Levine, Chaz Bono, Zachary Quinto in It Gets Better special.)