Tag Archives: The Trevor Project

Carrie Preston, Chris Bauer, Jim Parrack, News, Ryan Kwanten, Supporting Cast, Todd Lowe, Videos

A Little Birdie Told Me — True Blood PSAs part 4

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New PSAs From True Blood For “It Gets Better”:

This fourth article is again courtesy of True Blood’s official YouTube page. Jim Parrack (Hoyt Fortenberry), Todd Lowe (Terry Bellefleur), Carrie Preston (Arlene Fowler), Ryan Kwanten and Chris Bauer (Jason Stackhouse and Andy Bellefleur) made “It Gets Better” PSAs for the Trevor Project. They talk about personal experiences with bullying.

Jim Parrack talks about being a bully:

“I’d like to be very honest with you all and let you know that growing up I made things very difficult on people around me at school, I was a jerk, and that’s gotten better too. Somehow I had it in my mind that if I could lash out at other people or hurt them that somehow I could secure something for myself. To address that I just want to say, you never get anything at all from putting someone else down. There’s no substance to it, there’s no real value to it, there’s no change. All you end up doing is hurting other people, and then being stuck with that realization some day… For those of you who are being victimized or brutalized by people like that, it’s all going to stop. The day is coming where you get to walk out into life, choose the road you’re going to go down, choose the people you want to spend your time with, and you’re free of it all.”


 

Todd Lowe offers one way to cope:

“If you find yourself the victim of bullying or discrimination, one of the things you can do to empower yourself is to write a story about your bully or tormentor… and make sure it has a happy ending. They go off and live their life, you live yours. Remember, it gets better.”


 

Carrie Preston talks about community:

“You may be feeling like you’re being bullied because you’re different from everybody around you. I just want you to know that it’s temporary, life is temporary. You are surrounded actually in this world by a much larger community who is made up of gay people, and straight people, and bisexual people, and transgendered people. But I think that we’re a community that’s not really commonly brought together because we have a certain sexual orientation — we’re a part of a community that’s humane, a part of a community that accepts people, a part of a community that loves people and will love you for who you are. So seek us out, we’re here for you. We want you to be who you are, and we will support you in whatever it is that you choose to be, seek us out we’re out here. It gets better, I promise.”


 

Kwanten and Bauer share being an outsider in common:

“We’re here to talk about bullying. Not the most popular of subjects but one that we must face. Look, Chris and I are both very much kind of outsiders. As much as it wouldn’t seem like we are. And we’re here to tell you that we don’t think we’re alone, we now know that we’re not alone. And if you also feel like an outsider, feel like that no one’s listening to you, believe me there are places to go, there is someone to turn to, there is a comfort, a security network that you can turn to. And if you’re one of the pickers, if you’re one of the bullies, you’ve gotta be kidding me! And you’re not alone. There’s a lot of people going through what you’re going through. Reach out, talk about it. Ask a caregiver, ask a coach, a teacher, anybody who’s there. You can get the help. And I promise you, it gets better.”

Truebies, if you feel picked on or alone and need help, please call 1-866-4-U-TREVOR or visit TheTrevorProject.org or GLSEN.org.

Source: True Blood official YouTube page

Deborah Ann Woll, Joe Manganiello, News, Sam Trammell, Supporting Cast, Videos

A Little Birdie Told Me — True Blood PSAs Part 3

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New PSAs From True Blood For “It Gets Better”:

Janina Gavankar It Gets Better shirtThis third article is again courtesy of True Blood’s official YouTube page. Joe Manganiello (Alcide Herveaux), Janina Gavankar (Luna), Deborah Ann Woll (Jessica), and Sam Trammell (Sam Merlotte) made “It Gets Better” PSAs for The Trevor Project. In these PSAs they talk about their personal experiences with bullying.

Joe Manganiello talks about being picked on as a kid because he was bigger than the others, but unwilling to use his size as a reason to bully, just because he could. He got picked on for his big ears, which caused his parents to allow his hair to grow longer, in an attempt to cover them up. As a result, the kids started calling him “’Froey Joey”. In high school he stuck up for the kids that were being bullied.

He says:

“I made it my business to stick up for those kids and try to help those kids out, and be a friend to those kids.”

Janina Gavankar was verbally bullied in high school. She says that the kids never said things to her personally, but she found out things were being said about her.  She assures us:

“If you’re gay, straight, artistic, busier than everybody else because you actually have a life and something interesting to think about besides the gossip, and they hate ya for it… that’s OK. I know what all of those girls are doing now. And I’m ok. It gets better. Trust.”

Deborah Ann Woll talks about one incident in school where someone left a note in her locker that said, “Why don’t you just kill yourself because nobody likes you”. It may have been a quote from a movie at the time, but she did not find it amusing. She would get calls in the middle of the night, with people saying mean things. Her poor mother was affected by this, too. They both went through a lot, together. Deborah says all she remembers is wanting to be an actor. She says her dream is what got her through it all, and,

“Despite all of those instances where people made me feel less than, I now have a better understanding of humanity, in a way. I can now be a friend to the lonely. So just remember that it gets better.”

Sam Trammell talks directly to people who are being bullied or contemplating suicide because of being bullied. He says the people who bully others do so because they’re insecure and going through the same difficult times you are, and are acting out. He explains:

“They do not represent the real world outside of school that you’re so quickly moving into. Life moves so fast and if you can just get past this little bump, you’ll see that you’re going to be celebrated for your differences and your uniqueness. You’ll be loved for them. You’re not alone, there’s a great community out there that’s waiting to embrace and love you for who you are. Teenage bullies are not what the world is made of… Please don’t let the senseless actions of a bully take you from us. It gets so much better.”

Truebies, if you feel picked on or alone and need help, please call 1-866-4-U-TREVOR or visit TheTrevorProject.org or GLSEN.org.

Source: True Blood official YouTube page

(Photo credit: It Gets Better Project via JaninaGavankar.com.)

 

Anna Paquin, Cast, Nelsan Ellis, News, Stephen Moyer, Supporting Cast, Videos

A Little Birdie Told Me — True Blood PSAs Part 2

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New PSAs From True Blood For “It Gets Better”:

This second article is courtesy of True Blood’s official YouTube page.  Stephen Moyer, Anna Paquin, Nelsan Ellis, and Brit Morgan made “It Gets Better” PSAs for The Trevor Project. In these PSAs they talk about personal experiences with bullying.

Stephen Moyer’s message begins with:

“I’ve got two children who come home from school sometimes as if the world is at an end…”

Nelsan Ellis shares:

“I was talked about growing up because I was the odd kid, I was strange in my family and later in life I learned to embrace who I was and all of my differences because I realized they make me beautiful.”

Brit Morgan talks about being made fun of because of her medical condition:

“I totally know how you feel. I had a particular experience growing up. I had really, really severe scoliosis and I had to wear this back brace, I was really, really crooked, and I walked funny and had a hunch on my back. I remember being in middle school and I remember being in high school, and I remember how bad I used to get picked on.”

Anna Paquin says:

“The thing about bullying is that it makes you feel like you’re alone, it makes you feel like there’s something wrong with you. It makes you feel like you can’t go and talk to someone because they won’t understand… it gets better. It’s just as simple as that.”

Hey Truebies, if you feel picked on or alone and need help please call 1-866-4-U-TREVOR, or visit TheTrevorProject.org or GLSEN.org.

Source: True Blood official YouTube page