As students return to school for a new academic year, far-right extremists and conservative media outlets are targeting LGBTQ+ organizations that support the healthy development of children. After the It Gets Better Project awarded over $600,000 in grant money in June to more than 50 high schools in the United States and Canada to uplift and empower LGBTQ+ students in schools, some on the right have warned that the organization is “grooming” kids. This program awards projects mainly run by kids, and it funds everything from Pride events to GSAs to inclusive language seminars to gender-inclusive closets. The It Gets Better Project has approved individual $10,000 grants for 56 U.S. and 15 Canadian public and charter schools to fund LGBTQ+ initiatives throughout 2023, according to the organization’s website. The far-right outfit Daily Caller took issue with the group promoting gender ideology. The publication attacked It Gets Better in an article titled “LGBTQ Activist Org Awards Thousands To Schools Across the Country to Promote Gender Ideology.” The conservative website listed some of the schools awarded funds in the piece.
