Seattle police support gay youth with 'It Gets Better' video

BY Kim Shepard  on June 22, 2012 @ 2:43 pm (Updated: 11:43 am - 6/23/12 )

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Thousands of videos have been made for the "It Gets Better Project" to encourage and support young gay people. The latest comes from the Seattle Police Department.

Officers in uniform describe how they discovered they were gay, how they came out to their families, and how they dealt with the issue growing up.

"It was upsetting because I knew it wasn't a phase and I kept trying to prove that. Ya know, this isn't something that's going to go away in six months [...] This is permanent and this is who I am," says Officer Vanessa Flick.

Acknowledging that it is hard sometimes and that bullies are out there, the officers encourage young gay people to just be themselves. Even Police Chief John Diaz makes an appearance to support his officers and the gay community.

"No one deserves to be taunted or bullied or harassed for any reason, particularly for their sexual orientation," says Diaz.

Around 40 members of the department and their families will participate in this weekend's Pride parade in downtown Seattle.

Kim Shepard, KIRO Radio Reporter
Kim Shepard is a news anchor and reporter for KIRO Radio and the office optimist. She's energetic, quick to laugh and has a positive outlook on life.
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Comments (44)


  • Add A Comment

  • Snout wrote...
    It gets better
    June 22, 2012 4:32 pm
    until that day you have to account for yourself to the Lord. Then things will get dramatically much worse for you.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cigarfan wrote...
    @Snout
    June 22, 2012 5:44 pm
    I don't really remember JC discussing it. I do remember some misogynist/homophobic follower named Paul (who never met JC) complaining about Women & LGBT folks.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • RonJ wrote...
    Oh praise the Lord!
    June 22, 2012 6:38 pm
    Quick, look busy, Jesus is coming...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Hey MYNW
    June 22, 2012 4:39 pm
    Why don't you guys just have a Gay Everyday column? That way you could write the gay news for the GAY PEOPLE and let the rest of us who DO NOT CARE about gay issues or problems or flags or parades or whatever? Just a thought....ANd doesn't the SPD have anything better to do with their time then tell gay people how much better it gets....COME ON - ENOUGH ALREADY!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Really??? wrote...
    Kudos for the SPD "It Gets Better" campaign.
    June 22, 2012 5:01 pm
    It is nice to see that the SPD is willing to publicly support a growing segment of it's rank and file as well as it's constituency. The VAST majority of us DO care about LGBT issues so thank you MYNW for reporting on these issues. As the people like "snout" and "maplefish" die off things will absolutely "get better!"
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Die off?
    June 22, 2012 5:36 pm
    Just because I'm tolerant, doesn't mean I have endure the inssant barrage of gay stories. This is special rights politically correct BS that appeals to a 10% of the population. I for one am sick of it. Keep your homosexuality to yourself and I'll have much more respect for you up until the die I and people like me "die off". As for you reality, you can piss off.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Until the DAY
    June 22, 2012 5:37 pm
    I die off. And you can still piss off...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • otmilkr wrote...
    But Maple
    June 23, 2012 5:32 am
    Hetrosexuality is used in advertisine everything from alcohol to automobiles. Isn't that a "barrage" of hetrosexuality?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Paul T. wrote...
    DITTO.....
    June 23, 2012 8:10 am
    DITTO DITTO!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • RonJ wrote...
    I'm not sure
    June 22, 2012 6:40 pm
    about the vast majority, Really, some of us don't give a rats a55 who you choose to cornhole.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Sgt Fatso wrote...
    Looks like You are Wrong.
    June 22, 2012 5:08 pm
    really??? You must be a homosexual. Most people do not like that lifestyle and how the media is shoving it down our throats. Snout and maplefish are exactly right and you are wrong "really???". I guess this city is made for homosexuals. To bad as I think it was much better before the homosexuals reared their dirty heads.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Really??? wrote...
    Snout, Maplefish, Sgt Fatso I rest my case
    June 22, 2012 6:12 pm
    I think all your hate filled words do more to make may case than I ever could. Maybe you all should focus on the subject of the article and stop complaining that it was written. Seems easy to me, don't like the subject of the article, don't read it. Then again, I am much more tolerant so...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • RonJ wrote...
    More tolerant blah blah blah
    June 22, 2012 6:42 pm
    Your only tolerant to those who hold views you agree with, Really, your last post proves my point.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Really???
    June 22, 2012 7:55 pm
    Again, you are a narrow minded bigot. Your tolerance is a one way street. Go whine on the Stranger's blog. Nobody here gives a ratsass about your pathetic POV... I am tolerant. However, the government, nor people like you, will ever force me to accept GAY anything.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sohojo wrote...
    Nobody Cares
    June 22, 2012 6:32 pm
    Just do your job.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • soo purletiv wrote...
    I didn't write it
    June 22, 2012 7:50 pm
    "No one deserves to be taunted or bullied or harassed for any reason, particularly for their sexual orientation," says Diaz

    Words to live by!

    Now, go train your officers on this new official mindset.

    Somehow or another, they did not get the memo!

    Disclaimer alert: Not all officers of the SPD are control freaks and abusive. Many are decent guys/gals with the right motive and comport themselves well. Unfortunately the bad ones are protected and stain the entire profession, since perception many times is reality......

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • otmilkr wrote...
    Why do homophobes
    June 23, 2012 5:33 am
    have to be homophobic? Who cares whether someone is gay? What differance does it make to you and how is someone else's sexual behavior any of your business? Grow up.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • RonJ wrote...
    Milker I'll
    June 23, 2012 3:01 pm
    consider growing up when other peoples behavior stops getting crammed down my throat. Like you said, who cares?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Vepo wrote...
    Hey SPD
    June 23, 2012 5:45 am
    Your job isn't to politicize, it's to serve and protect! Keep out of the gay rights venue. Everyone should be treated equally when it comes to being bullied.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • eddiewhite wrote...
    Hey if you're a dude...
    June 23, 2012 8:58 am
    and want to bend over and have another hairy sweaty nasty dude shove his wang in your butt then what do I care? But first of all that sounds disgusting and painful and second of all maybe it's not the best idea to use tax payer money to support such a gross act. This is right on schedule for Seattle residents. Have fun paying for some pro muff diving (full disclosure; I too am pro muff diving) video while the pot holes tear apart your tires.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }