Hilary Clinton Message To Bullied Youth: “Tomorrow Will Be Better”

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton — compelled by nearly a dozen suicides of American teens who were the reported victims of homophobic hazing — delivers a message to the LGBTQ community, and anyone else faced with the daily horrors of bullying, that “Tomorrow Will Be Better.”

The former First Lady and senator is voicing her support for gay and lesbian youth on the heels of a string of suicides by young people who were bullied about their sexuality in recent weeks. In one of the highest-profile cases, two undergraduates at Rutgers University in suburban New Jersey were arrested and charged with felonies after they allegedly filmed a freshman classmate having sex with another man and broadcast the footage on the Internet, prompting the teen to jump into New York’s Hudson River.

“Like millions of Americans, I was terribly saddened to learn of the recent suicides of several teenagers across our country after being bullied because they were gay or because people thought they were gay,” a thoughtful Clinton says in a video statement released by The White House on Tuesday.

“Children are particularly vulnerable to the hurt caused by discrimination and prejudice and we have lost many young people over the years to suicide,” the diplomat adds, urging Americans to practice tolerance — even when dealing with people they don’t understand. “These most recent deaths are a reminder that all Americans have to work harder to overcome bigotry and hatred. I have a message for all the young people out there who are being bullied, or who feel alone and find it hard to imagine a better future: First of all, hang in there and ask for help.”

Hillary continues: “Your life is so important: to your family, your friends, and to your country. And there is so much waiting for you, both personally and professionally: there are so many opportunities for you to develop your talents and make your contributions. And these opportunities will only increase.”