White House Delivers 'It Gets Better' Messages for Pride

President Joe Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff have a message for LGBTQ+ young people: You are not alone, and it does get better.

Biden and Emhoff both recorded videos for the It Gets Better Project, and they will be streamed as part of It Gets Better's Digital Pride Experience and will also be available separately on YouTube.

"I'm proud of you for being who you are -- being true to yourself," the president says to LGBTQ+ youth in his video. "I want you to know you're not alone. Your president has your back, and lots of other people do as well."

"There's so many people out there -- people like me -- who care about you," Emhoff says.

Biden adds, "Whatever bullies say about you, it's never about you, it's about them. You have a bright future ahead because you have a strength and courage they'll never possess."

Emhoff advises, "Be confident in who you are. Embrace your differences. But don't ever feel like you're in this by yourself, because you're not. Remember, it will get better."

It Gets Better: A Digital Pride Experience is a two-day event that will stream live on YouTube today and Thursday. It will be hosted by Kalen Allen, who'll get a drag makeover from Monique Heart. It will include an interview with Special star Ryan O'Connell, a conversation between Laverne Cox and Mj Rodriguez, performances by musicians Vincint, Jordy, and Aly & AJ, a taping of the Gender Reveal podcast, and much more.

It streams at 2 p.m. Eastern/11 a.m. Pacific both days. Biden's and Emhoff's videos will be shown the first day, about half an hour into the event.

The It Gets Better Project was created in 2010 by journalist Dan Savage and his partner, Terry Miller, to offer hope and encouragement to LGBTQ+ young people who are struggling. More than 70,000 people have shared their stories through It Gets Better, which has grown to be a global nonprofit that reaches millions of young people each year through inspiring media programming, educational resources, international affiliates in 20 countries plus the United States, and access to a wide range of community-based service providers.

The event will be livestreamed on YouTube, and the full schedule is here. Biden's and Emhoff's videos are below.