Photo: (MTV)
Phew! THEY DID IT! Making sense of what you feel and coming to define your sexuality can take time, but as we saw on the second "It Gets Better" special tonight on MTV and Logo, it does get better. Hunter, Natalie and Vecente's confidence, pride, and support system grew after overcoming various hurdles -- and it was their bravery and courage that got them through it.
It felt great to see the three of them confident in who they were, and open up to those who meant so much to them about the internal struggle they had felt for so long. Through out their coming out processes, there were highs and lows. It took a toll on Natalie's body and landed her in the hospital; Vencente constantly felt remorse for leading what he felt was a double life; and, Hunter repeatedly felt belittled by his dad, a 6'4" cop who loved to hunt. But at the end, the highlights overshadowed it all as all three began their roads to a much clearer, open life.
Between all the hugs and tears and family chats, here are the five moments we loved most!
+ "You're very tough." Hunter's dad always wanted a "manly father-son relationship" and was disappointed after Hunter came out to him. But after witnessing his son grow into his true identity and feel confident about it as he moved away to school, he couldn't settle with being disappointed and broke down before finally muttering three words Hunter never thought his dad would ever tell him: "You're very tough."
+ Natalie's sister delivers sweet words of wisdom.
Natalie: "I'm gay, and it's okay -- I don't have to beat myself up anymore about it. I feel strong and I feel so much better than I have ever felt about myself. I feel so confident, and so okay, because I finally just accepted this part about myself that I was rejecting and I couldn't make it go away no matter how much i tried. I know that it's going to take a while for you to accept that."
Sister: "I'm very happy you were able to say that, and I understand what a big of a deal it is, too. But at the same time, to me, I don't care. It's not like I go around and say, 'Hey, by the way, I'm straight.'"
Dad: "Be around people who love you for who you are because *tear* that's a good person."
Me: *ugly cry*
+ Hunter's roommates react. Hunter came out to all three of his roommates right after moving in! All three were okay with it, and one even shared he actually liked that he was gay because it was exciting and different. Hayyy.
+ Vecente and Taylor's duet. To ease into telling Taylor, a friend who defended him against bullies as a child, Vecente wrote a song that he hoped hinted "something was up." Vecente and Taylor later performed the song, "Magic Mirror," at an LGBT showcase Vecente put on, showing their dedication to their friendship even after V opened up. Now that's BFF status!
+ Natalie starts a student rights group. After coming out and going back to campus, Natalie lets her mom know she was starting a student rights group AND invites her mom to their events.
For ways on how you can help make things better, visit act.mtv.com/itgetsbetter or take action below!
