About Us
It Gets Better is a charity with a mission to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer youth.
Our Vision is a world where all LGBTQ+ youth are free to live equally, connect to their communities, and know their power as individuals.
Our Why
LGBTQ+ youth in the UK face serious mental health challenges, often worsened by societal stigma, discrimination, and a lack of support. Research underscores the urgent need to address these issues:
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1 in 5 LGBTQ+ young people have experienced suicidal thoughts, and 33% have self-harmed.
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1 in 4 LGBTQ+ students face bullying at school due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
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LGBTQ+ individuals are nearly three times more likely to experience anxiety compared to their non-LGBTQ+ peers.
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LGBTQ+ youth rejected by their families are more than eight times more likely to attempt suicide.
These statistics represent the real, lived experiences of many young people in our communities. At It Gets Better UK, we are committed to changing this narrative. Through storytelling, educational programs, and community-building initiatives, we provide LGBTQ+ youth with the support they need to navigate their identities safely and confidently—showing them they are not alone, and their futures are filled with limitless possibilities.
Our What
LGBTQ+ youth in the UK face serious mental health challenges, often worsened by societal stigma, discrimination, and a lack of support. At It Gets Better UK, we are committed to changing this narrative through:
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Storytelling: Sharing real stories of LGBTQ+ youth to create understanding, empathy, and connection.
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Educational Programs: Offering resources that educate on LGBTQ+ issues and mental health, promoting acceptance and inclusion.
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Community-Building Initiatives: Creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth to come together, share experiences, and feel supported.
Our Impact
"I'm still alive because of you."
— A real-life reflection of the impact of our work.
So far we have:
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Attended over 20 Pride events across the UK, including 10 in 2024 alone.
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Trained 995 stylists with Redken to create safe-space salons for LGBTQ+ clients.
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Reached 3 million people through our social media channels.
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Our videos on YouTube were watched for over 106 hours in 2024, amplifying LGBTQ+ voices and raising awareness.
These initiatives are changing lives. We continue to provide LGBTQ+ youth with the tools, resources, and support they need to navigate their identities safely, ensuring they know they are not alone and that their futures are filled with limitless possibilities.
Our Journey
In September 2010, in response to a rash of suicides that claimed the lives of several LGBTQ+ youth, the first It Gets Better video was released on YouTube urging young LGBTQ+ people to stay true to themselves despite bullying and other challenges of adolescence.
The message was simple – no matter how difficult things may be, it can get better. Those words, and the sentiment behind them, went viral, inspiring more than 70,000 people to share their personal stories of resilience and triumph, catalyzing the world’s largest storytelling effort to uplift and empower LGBTQ+ youth.
Fourteen years later, with an Emmy Award and a New York Times bestselling book in tow, It Gets Better affirms the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people every year. Through powerful storytelling and media campaigns, impactful educational programming, and global community-building initiatives, It Gets Better reaches and connects with LGBTQ+ youth before they are in crisis – helping them to navigate their sexual orientation and/or gender identity journey with life-affirming resources paving the way to a future with limitless possibilities.
In October 2018, the UK Affiliate of It Gets Better was launched, marking a significant step in expanding the mission to empower LGBTQ+ youth globally. Since then, It Gets Better UK has been named one of the top 10 LGBTQ+ charities in the British LGBT Awards on two occasions, reflecting its growing impact and recognition within the community.