WASHINGTON -- Inspired by President Barack Obama’s "It Gets Better" video, several administration officials and White House staffers decided to add their voices to the life-saving project.

The "It Gets Better" project was created in September by nationally syndicated columnist Dan Savage in response to the wave of youth suicides that were the result of anti-LGBTQ bullying and harassment.

SAN DIEGO- The San Diego LGBT Community Center has received a $20,000 donation from communications company Verizon.

Syrus Devers and Laura Bennett of Verizon were joined by state Sen. Christine Kehoe and Assemblymembers Toni Atkins and Marty Block on Nov. 18 as they presented a $20,000 check in support of The Center's Relationship Violence Treatment and Intervention Program.

This is the second major gift from Verizon to support the program, which provides mental health treatment for victims and offenders of same-sex relationship violence.

It is with a very real sense of gratitude for all you are doing to advance equality that I am announcing that I will be stepping down from my position as Executive Director of Equality California at the end of my ninth year.

I will formally step aside on March 31, 2011. It has been a true honor and a privilege to lead Equality California and serve the state’s LGBT community. When you think back to how far we have come in less than a decade, it is breathtaking.

Friends,

LGBT youth deserve to thrive in school and in life.

But to thrive, they need to feel safe and confident. They need to see and be inspired by LGBT role models who are changing the world for the better. They need to feel like they belong. Too many of our youth are struggling with harassment, feelings of worthlessness and even suicidal thoughts. We have to make our schools safer and more positive environments for LGBT youth.