If you’re a fan of Glee and saw last week’s episode you know it was a big one. If you’re not a fan let me fill you in. Famous for tackling real-life issues, Glee is no stranger to taking controversial and often under-discussed topics and putting them on your TV screen, and most importantly at the forefront of of the discussion. From teen pregnancy to homosexuality, the show uses its cast of stellar voices to give a voice to important issues. This past week, it was teen suicide, and the message was heard loud and clear.

So here’s what happened. Resident bully Dave Karofsky used to bully Kurt simply because he was gay. What we thought was just plain ignorance ended up being fear which was made clear when he kissed Kurt. So, clearly he was struggling coming to terms with his own identity and taking it out on Kurt. Even after kissing him, the bullying didn’t stop and caused Kurt to transfer schools. We eventually find out that Dave has been slowly trying to come into his own, and in the episode Heart confessed his love to Kurt, which people from Dave’s new school saw. Which brings us to the latest episode, where Dave was publicly outed in his locker room, humiliated on Facebook, and ended up trying to take his own life. You can watch the the scene below. 


Intense is an understatement, right? The scene officially ends with Karofsky stepping onto a chair in his closet, and his father finding him. It’s a scene that can move you to tears each time you watch it, but it’s what’s happened in the wake of it airing that is truly remarkable. Glee worked along with The Trevor Project for this episode, and it’s a good thing they did. After the episode aired, the suicide hotline’s activity went up 300 percent taking them from their average of 1,500 visits a day to 10, 000 when the show aired. Isn’t that the power of music? Seeing a story line that is a reality for so many young people handled so well is so important. It showed the journey it took to get to that point, what those you may be leaving behind are left dealing with, and the most important message of all: it gets better. [via Huffington Post]

I am so grateful that there is a show like Glee out there. It reminds kids that they are not alone, and there are other people out there like them. It sheds light on such important issues that often remain in the shadows. And it gives a message that regardless of your color, religion, cliques, or sexual orientation, you matter. To me, it doesn’t get any better than that.

What do you guys think about this? Are you glad ‘Glee’ tackles such important issues? What about this one in particular?