Obama video supports gay teenagers [View All]

It Gets Better Project receives backing of US president amid concerns over spate of gay American teenagers killing themselves

Barack Obama has released a video to draw attention to pressures facing gay teenagers, lending his weight to a campaign that has attracted more than 2,000 video contributions and 10m views on YouTube.

The campaign, prompted by a spate of gay American teenagers killing themselves in recent weeks, has also received the backing of the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, who has posted her own two-minute video.

In his video, Obama draws parallels with his own upbringing.

"I don't know what it's like to be picked on for being gay. But I do know what it's like to grow up feeling that sometimes you don't belong. "It's tough," he says. "When you're teased or bullied it can seem like somehow you brought it on yourself … With time you're going to see that your differences are a source of pride, a source of strength."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/22/barack-obama-supports-gay-teenagers