GMCLA Takes “It Gets Better” Stage Show To Utah & Beyond

The week-long tour stop in Ogden, UT, begins on Oct. 7, with university and community outreach events, and ends with the “It Gets Better” stage production performed by the GMCLA at Perry’s Egyptian Theater, on Oct. 11.

Utah is just one of the strategic stops on the 2013/2014 It Gets Better Tour, presented by AT&T, along with the official airline sponsor, Southwest Airlines. Utah is known for a strong Mormon presence, and the church is known for a strong anti-LGBT philosophy, but that makes the tour stop all the more significant.

Though not necessarily related, the announcement of the tour stop came on the heels of an overwhelmingly supportive response to a video of a gay marriage proposal posted to YouTube, on Sept. 11. “Spencer’s Home Depot Marriage Proposal,” has more than 10 million views, and shows Spencer Stout proposing to his boyfriend, Dustin with a flash mob in the Lumber department of a Salt Lake City, UT Home Depot. The couple, now known as the “Home Depot Proposal Boys,” were recent guests on the Ellen Show and discussed the background details of the video, and how the support of their families eased the difficulties of growing up gay in Utah.

Banking on what appears to be a climate of growing acceptance for the LGBT community in traditionally conservative states like Utah, the tour will strategically continue on to Austin, TX; Whitewater, WI; Oxford, OH; Milwaukee, WI; Lincoln, NE, and Houston, TX.

The collaborative effort between the Its Gets Better Project, GMCLA and Utah-based Weber State University’s Office of Cultural Affairs, in Ogden, includes an itinerary of events focused on ending the bullying epidemic and creating a dialogue in local communities, and the nation about the LGBT rights movement.

“I grew up in Utah and it’s quite heartening to see that there is an openness to this sensitive subject matter there,” said Liesel Reinhart, Writer/Director of “It Gets Better.” “I believe that all people share an interest in keeping young people safe and happy. Our conversations will be anchored by this common belief.”

The It Gets Better Project began in September, 2010, when columnist and author Dan Savage and his partner Terry Miller posted a YouTube video in reaction to the epidemic of LGBT youth taking their own lives after being bullied. The project has inspired people of all ages, races, religions, nationalities, gender identities and sexual orientations to share their accounts on how “It Gets Better,” including videos from President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Adam Lambert, Anne Hathaway, Colin Farrell and Ellen DeGeneres.

For tickets to the Oct. 11, 2013 production of “It Gets Better,” call 801.626.8500 or visit the Egyptian Box Office atweberstatetickets.com. To learn more about the community workshops, visit Weber State University’s Office of Cultural Affairs atwsuculturalaffairs.org. To learn more about the It Gets Better Project or to view the touring schedule, visit www.itgetsbettertour.org.