The Minnesota Twins released a video Thursday featuring Joe Mauer aimed to "discourage bullying and encourage those being bullied to seek help."
A link to the video was posted on the Twins' Facebook page and on the team's Twitter account. But, as it turned Friday in Minnesota, the anti-bullying was not visible on the team's home page. To find it, one had to click on the link to the community page, then go either to the stack on the right and click on "Twins in the Community" and click again on Details, and then go to the righthand side of that page and click on "Stop Bullying." Or go to the bottom of the community page, where it was listed in the "Inside Community" section under "Twins in the Community," where you would find a link to "Stop Bullying."
Bob Collins of Minnesota Public Radio notes that the video does not mention gay and lesbian teens and called it "a comparably safer approach." A number of pro sports teams had joined the "It Gets Better" video campaign, something the Twins had pledged to do. Minnesota has made the national spotlight in connection with reports of bullying, including of GLBT students, leading to campaigns, most notably in the Anoka-Hennepin schools. Also, Edina graduate Alex Fischer has highlighted bullying in Minnesota schools in a documentary called "Minnesota Nice?"
In June, City Pages reported that the Twins decided not to get involved in the "It Gets Better" campaign after a controversy involving author and advice columnist Dan Savage, who originally came up with the idea for the videos two years ago.
Last month, the San Francisco 49ers became the first NFL team to release an "It Gets Better" video.
And the San Francisco Giants produced one earlier this season:
But the Twins' focus on bullying is not without need, either. A state task force has called for a rewrite of Minnesota's bullying law, an effort backed by Gov. Mark Dayton.
