Gay Mounties add their voices to “It Gets Better”

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police — known colloquially as “the Mounties” — have had their famous image threatened lately by multiple allegations of sexual abuse within their ranks. 

In the midst of this ongoing legal and public discussion comes some more positive news. A group of RCMP members, who are gay, want Canadian youth to know that they stand with them against bullying. They got together to make an “it gets better” video, which has been published on the RCMP’s official YouTube channel:

The video is quite long, viewing more as a mini-documentary than a PSA. But it’s nice to see a major law enforcement organization letting young people know they have powerful allies in the struggle to be themselves in the face of discrimination. That’s a far cry from the (satirically) homophobic Mountie chorus of Monty Python’s “The Lumberjack Song”!

From the YouTube link:

Championed by the Surrey RCMP Youth Unit, the 20 participants taped interviews in the summer of 2012. The video was finalized, by BC RCMP Multi-media services in the fall of 2012.

The video features adults who share their stories of their struggles, with the aim of building a bridge of understanding for youth undergoing similar experiences. Each of the participants tell moving and candid stories of their doubts, fears, and struggles, and their eventual joy of knowing that life, indeed, does get better.

Support for the project was received from police officers and civilian employees across the Lower Mainland of British Columbia including Surrey, Burnaby, UBC, Richmond, the Integrated Homicide Investigations Team, BC RCMP Major Crime, and the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit—BC (CFSEU-BC).

While their individual stories vary the messages are personal, powerful and inspiring.

Thanks to Laura Gauthier for the tip.