After several recent incidents of suicides by teens who were being taunted or bullied for being gay, US President Barack Obama has recorded an anti-bullying message.
The tape was released by the White House and appeared on the site itgetsbetterproject.com on Thursday night.
"We've got to dispel this myth that bullying is just a normal rite of passage, that it's some inevitable part of growing up. It's not," the president said in the video.
"We have an obligation to ensure that our schools are safe for all of our kids. And to every young person out there, you need to know that, if you're in trouble, there are caring adults who can help," he added.
"You are not alone", Obama told the victims of bullying. "You did not do anything wrong. You didn't do anything to deserve being bullied and there is a whole world waiting for you filled with possibilities".
"As a nation, we're founded on the belief that all of us are equal and each of us deserves the freedom to pursue our own version of happiness", the president said in the three-minute message
Obama finished the video by saying that part of that freedom is the choice to "not fit in" and be "true to ourselves".
Obama's message came weeks after Tyler Clementi, an 18-year old student at Rutgers University, killed himself after his roommate filmed him secretly with another male student and posted the video online.
Hillary
Clinton, the US Secretary of State, also recently recorded a video for
anti-bullying campaign. She said she feels sad over suicides by teens
who were intimidated for being gay or because people considered them to be gay.
