Dan Savage Discusses "It Gets Better" Project

BUFFALO, NY – The Undergraduate Student Association at Canisius University will welcome Dan Savage to campus on Thursday, February 16 at 7:00 p.m. in the Montante Cultural Center, located on Main Street at the corner of Eastwood Place. The event is free and open to the public. 

Savage is the co-creator of the “It Gets Better” project. He launched the Internet-based initiative in September 2010 in response to the suicides of teenagers who were bullied because of their sexual orientations. The goal of “It Gets Better” is to prevent suicides among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth by asking people to make and upload short, positive videos about their experiences in the LGBT community. The project includes more than 30,000 entries and has received more than 40 million views. Advertising Age named “It Gets Better” one of the top social media campaigns of 2010. 

Savage has since published It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying and Creating a Life Worth Living. It is a book of essays based on the same theme as the web video project. The book contains more than 100 essays, some transcribed or expanded from the videos and others original. It Gets Better made the New York Times bestseller list. 

Savage’s visit to Canisius University is sponsored by the Justice Committee of the Undergraduate Student Association. 

For more information on the event, contact the Office of Campus Programming and Leadership Development at 888-2190.

Canisius University is one of 28 Catholic, Jesuit, colleges in the nation and the premier private college in Western New York. Canisius prepares leaders – intelligent, caring, faithful individuals – able to pursue and promote excellence in their professions, their communities and their service to humanity.