What started as one video turned into 10,000, and now, has become a part of what we do here at VEVO.
In collaboration with the It Gets Better Project, Rise Against‘s newest video for “Make It Stop (September’s Children)” spotlights the pitfalls of bullying, and the harm and danger it can cause. Filmed at lead singer Tim McIlrath’s former high school, the video’s depiction of LGBT teens being bullied by their peers is a response to the multiple gay teen suicides in September 2010 and Rise Against fan confessions over the years. As part of the video’s premiere on VEVO today, we’ll be featuring anti-bullying themed videos on the site all day long, spreading the message that suicide is not a solution, and there’s always someone to turn to.
The It Gets Better Project, founded by Savage Love columnist Dan Savage, features everyone from celebrities, companies, LGBT adults and even President Barack Obama promising young adults and teens that, though it may be tough to be themselves now, simply put, “it gets better”. The worldwide phenomenon of YouTube-submitted videos has sent a positive message to youth in the LGBT community about their future as openly gay adults, while also providing a way for straight allies to support their friends and family members. Some of the thousands of submissions the site has received are incorporated into the “Make It Stop (September’s Children)” video as well, which served as the inspiration for Rise Against’s clip.
“I decided to create the song as a response, and when I discovered the It Gets Better campaign and [It Gets Better Project co-founder] Dan Savage’s commitment to such an important and concise message, I was moved,” said McIlrath. “I immediately felt that if our song is the road, then the It Gets Better campaign is the destination. I hope the synergy between the two can reach people and make a difference.”
For more information on the project, to take the It Gets Better pledge and to watch supportive videos from people across the world, visit ItGetsBetter.org. For more from Rise Against, click here.
