Kimmel Center Teams With Local LGBT Nonprofits For the Weeklong It Gets Better Project

The It Gets Better Project has become a household name. Created in September 2010 by columnist Dan Savage as a simple YouTube video encouraging LGBTQ youth that high school harassment and bullying will cease and that life will “get better,” the initiative has turned into a world-wide movement. Over 50,000 users have created video messages for LGBTQ teenagers, including President Obama, Hillary Clinton, Ke$ha, and Ellen DeGeneres, amongst many others. Now, the project is fittingly on it’s way to the City of Brotherly Love.

The It Gets Better Project engagement at the Kimmel Center kicks off next week with a weeklong long residency that includes a series of free events leading up to a Saturday evening multimedia concert at the Perelman Theatre.

Over 45 local community partners, including the likes of Action AIDS, Delaware Valley Legacy Fund, Equality Forum, GALAEI, Mazzoni Center, The Attic Youth Center, and The William Way LGBT Community Center, have teamed up with the Kimmel Center to present the festivities from November 4th through the 8th. Events range from a youth panel discussion, a spoken word performance from UArts students, to an open house featuring local organizations and vendors. The celebration culminates with a special ticketed concert on November 8th, a fusion of video, music, and narrative, featuring over 125 performers from the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus, Sister Cities, Voices of Pride, Rainbow Chorale of Delaware, and Anna Crusis Philadelphia Woman’s Choir.

The full list of events is below. For more information on the residency, visit the Kimmel Center website, and stay tuned to G Philly and our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts for coverage throughout the week. Use the hashtag #PhillyItGetsBetter to join in the conversation.

• Youth Lead Panel Discussion, Presented by Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition. Tuesday, November 4, 6PM, Merck Arts Education Center at the Kimmel Center. Free.
• Spoken Word Series, Presented by OUT at UArts. Tuesday, November 4, 7:30PM, Merck Arts Education Center at the Kimmel Center. Free.
• Open House featuring local organizations, LGBTQ health services, mental health providers, parent-teacher organizations, meet-up groups, anti-bullying organizations, and more. Wednesday, November 5, 6PM, SEI Innovation Studio at the Kimmel Center. Free.
• It Gets Better Vocal Concert. Saturday, November 8, 7:30PM, Perelman Theatre at the Kimmel Center. Tickets ($21) can be purchased here.