It Gets Better, Cape Breton Health tells teens
Cape Breton District Health Authority employees have joined the popular 'It Gets Better' project with the launch of their own video, joining thousands of others who have posted similar messages in support of teenagers in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.
The video, available on YouTube, features health authority employees talking about their experiences growing up in the LGBT community. The video also includes messages from employees who support workplace diversity.
Judy MacDougall, one of a dozen employees who appear in the video, works in the human resources department of the Cape Breton District Health Authority.
"I know myself and my counterparts that are gay that when we grew up, we often felt alone and perhaps isolated in our own circles," she told CBC News.
"We're trying to break down those barriers and I hope that they feel that."
The video shows the organization is supportive and accepting of its staff, said David MacAskill, an employee of the health authority and the director of the video.
"We're very supportive of them as individuals and they can be who they are regardless of personal characteristics," said MacAskill, who also acted in the film.
"The whole message is very emotional, speaking to gay youth and giving them some words of wisdom and advice is very emotional, so to see this out and viewable by millions of people is exceptional."
The 'It Gets Better' project, started by syndicated columnist Dan Savage in 2010, is a grassroots campaign directed at teens in the wake of a rash of suicides linked to homophobic bullying in the U.S.
A number of well-known Canadians have also lent their voices to similar videos, including comedian Rick Mercer, author Ann-Marie MacDonald and director Alisa Palmer.
