Singer/Actress Jess Godwin Takes On Bullying

I think I can safely posit that bullying in school was something that the majority of the LGBT community have suffered, in one form or another. I remember quite distinctly the many names I was called in junior high, the feeling of dread in the locker room when bullies (whose full names I remember to this day) would approach. One would hope that in the years since many of us have been in school, things would have gotten better. And while the appearance of gay-straight alliances have definitely helped LGBT youth find a safe space in school, today's technology has given bullies a new avenue to bash their victims. This ongoing issue is the central theme in the theme in the new video Greater>Than by my friend singer-songwriter/actress and LGBT-ally Jess Godwin , a self-described "misfit with soul." (She's even made a few cameos in my daily serial Boystown , which appears exclusively on GoPride. )

A song meant to empower and inspire those who suffer in silence, Godwin collaborated with Jessica Redish (Founding Artistic Director of The Music Theatre Company ) to shoot the video. Godwin and Redish have brought together 27 young women, ages 8-15, from Chicago, Winnetka, Kenilworth, Northfield, Glencoe, Glenview, Wilmette, Wisconsin, Michigan, and California to be the leading players in the music video.

Feeling extremely inspired by this video myself, I caught up with Jess about it:

Danny Bernardo (DB) What inspired you make to Greater>Than ?

Jess Godwin (JG) The story and song are inspired by a young woman who struggled in school until she started taking guitar lessons last year. I met Paula through twitter three years ago and interacted with her on a regular basis. I witnessed this amazing change through her tweets (if you can believe that!). She and her family drove in from Virginia last week to meet me for the first time, and I had her come on stage for the encore. (video of that performance can be seen here.)

DB : I know a lot of us creative types got picked on a lot in school. Did you experience any sort of bullying firsthand?

JG : I was bullied through grade school and junior high, but I was always able to go home after school and have a safe haven from the bullying. In this day and age of social networking, kids don't have an escape after school. They open up their computers, and the bullying continues. It's heartbreaking.

DB: What struck me was how universal this video was. It definitely felt like my story.

JG : That's what we were hoping for! We chose to focus on bullying between girls in the video, because that was my reality, but it obviously doesn't stop there. So many of my dear friends in the chicago LGBT community have told me horrific stories of childhood and adult bullying. At the heart of it, we are ALL human. We need to treat each other as such.

Greater>Than is being released at the start of summer break, because it is time away from school when kids who are bullied can catch their breath. During this rebuilding period, parents can help by working with their child to find something to do that will enhance their self-confidence while they are away from school. Upon seeing this video, the hope is that parents and their children will be inspired to explore healthier avenues of self-expression. Please share this powerful video and help spread the message to end bullying.

To keep updated on Jess Godwin's projects, follow her on Twitter or like her on Facebook.