The San Francisco 49ers this week became the first professional football team to join the “It Gets Better” project, an anti-bullying campaign intended to end suicides among LGBT youth, and to bring awareness to bullying of of gay kids.
While many professional sports teams, particularly Major League Baseball teams, have produced “It Gets Better” videos, the 49ers are the first National Football League team to participate, prompted by local fan Sean Chapin, who launched an online petition on Change.org last year, urging the five-time Super Bowl champion team to join the campaign.
“Something you should never experience is being bullied, intimidated or being pressured to being a someone or something that you are not,” said linebacker Ahmad Brooks, in the video released Thursday.
“On behalf of the entire 49ers organization, we are on your side, and we promise it gets better,” said safety Donte Whitner.
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The “It Gets Better Project,” which has since compiled more than 10,000 online videos, was launched by Seattle-based activist and author Dan Savage and his husband Terry Miller, in response to the increasing number of teen suicides of kids who were bullied for their perceived sexual orientation.
