Mardi Gras has become a time of celebration and a wonderful way for people across the world to show support for the LGBTIQ Community. For those of you unfamilair with some of those letters, it stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual, Intersex and Queer.
Mardi Gras began in 1978 and was part of a series of International events in response to the Stonewall riots in New York. It ended in police beating and arresting 53 men and women. The Mardi Gras that followed were a way of commemorating that first event.
Almost 40 years later and a lot has changed but LGBTI people have the highest rates of suicidality of any population in Australia. In response to this, the campaign "It Gets Better" was started. Here's Neil Patrick Harris speaking to LGBTIQ young people.
What do you think of his message? What do you think needs to change so LGBTIQ young people don't feel so alone or hopeless?
And if you have a young person in your life who might be struggling with any kind of gender or sexuality issue check out Twenty10. They are a wonderful service in Sydney who also provide phone support to other states.
