A new hero

For most of my life I've only had one real hero, and that was Walter Cronkite. Like many Americans, I trusted him and looked up to him. He told the truth, never so importantly than when he told us that we were not winning in Vietnam and that the generals and politicians were lying to us. My words of course; Uncle Walter was just as direct but much more polite. I've written before about how sad I was the night he left the CBS News; who now would speak truth to power?

That question has finally been fully answered to my satisfaction: Dan Savage speaks truth and, as with Cronkite, I trust him and believe in him.

For those who don't know, Dan writes the syndicated relationship and sex column Savage Love for the Seattle Stranger; he's an author of several books, including The Kid, the heartwarming true tale of his adoption, with his husband Terry Miller, of their son DJ; he's a commentator on issues political and social; and now, most importantly, he's the founder, with Terry, of the “It Gets Better” Channel at YouTube, a project aimed at assuring America's gay youth that yes, it DOES get better. Middle school and high school can be terribly hard for gay kids, but his message is that if you can somehow stick it out, you will see, we promise, that life gets better. (Click here to listen to Melissa Block's piece on All Things Considered.)

This is a message the conservatives and bible thumpers don't want kids to hear. They'd rather kids suffer discrimination, bullying and physical violence than have the right to be who they are. They are so homophobic and hate-filled that the idea of same-sex love is worse to them than teen suicide.

Dan Savage has devoted his life to telling the truth. That truth has never been more important than it is now. The last few weeks have seen several well-publicized teen suicides and now the disgusting story of two 17 year-olds gay-bashed and tortured by a group of nine thugs in New York.

Dan is my hero. He is America's hero.