Watch: For National Coming Out Day The NYC Fire Department Posts Emotional It Gets Better Video

Watch this just-released beautiful, heartbreaking, and heartwarming video of LGBT New York City Fire Department firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs sharing their stories for National Coming Out Day.

As much as many people in the LGBT community and even our allies think the battle for equality has been won, there are countless stories of LGBTQ youth and teens who are still struggling to find themselves and struggling for acceptance. 

Today, on National Coming Out Day, the New York City Fire Department posted this video it created in conjunction with the It Gets Better Project. In it, twelve active FDNY Firefighters, Paramedics, and EMTs share their stories of coming out, support, and yes, rejection, and how they grew to personally see that it does get better.

“As Firefighters, Paramedics and EMTs in the most diverse city in the world, FDNY members have the tremendous opportunity to inspire young people through their brave work every single day,” Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro says in a statement. “Through this video, they deliver an important message to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth around the world – it absolutely does get better.”

“With their It Gets Better video, the brave men and women of the FDNY have made a powerful statement in support of LGBT youth,” Brett M. Peters, Director of Communications for the It Gets Better Project adds. “By fostering such a welcoming community in the workplace, the FDNY is helping lead the way in encouraging LGBT young people to be whoever they want to be.”

Watch:

 

Image: Screenshot via New York City Fire Department (FDNY)/YouTube