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Dan Savage is an amazing writer, a gifted debater, and a marvelous human being.  You’ve heard me talk about him before, from his weekly sex advice podcast “Savage Love,” to his brilliant books, specifically “The Kid,” the memoir of how him and his boyfriend Terry adopted their son, D.J., as a baby.  It is my gay adoption bible that I fully intend to dog-ear (even more than I already have) when I eventually make the plunge one day.

Unfortunately, as I also previously reported in the last Gay News Roundup, Justin Aaberg, the Minnesota gay teen who committed suicide because of poor anti-bullying procedures at his school, has spurned another gay teen suicide.  His name was Billy Lucas, and his mother found that he hanged himself in the family barn.

Savage reported the foul incident in his usual (and to me, lovely) rage-fueled tone.  It’s a horrendous tragedy.  But then a reader commented to him that we might downplay these suicides, as they might produce further suicides in order to gain the attention one gets from doing such a thing.  It’s difficult to think, but the reader had a point.  And Savage listened.

So, instead of reporting on specific suicide cases, Savage has started a YouTube project called “It Gets Better,” in which gays can post videos as inspirational messages to young gays who are currently suffering in schools or elsewhere because of isolation and abuse.  Savage’s personal video is beautiful to behold for two reasons: first, it’s a great message; second, it features his previously media-shy family.  His husband Terry joins him in providing a message of hope, and photos of Savage’s extended family, including son D.J. and his recently-passed mother Judy.  All of them featured heavily in Savage’s two memoirs, books I hold so dear, it’s remarkable to finally be able to put faces to the names.

I strongly urge you to watch, share and even provide your own video.