Stephen Colbert’s advice in new “It Gets Better” video is to not give power to the words bullies throw at you

The steady stream of It Gets Better videos has slowed a bit in recent months but contributions like this new one from Stephen Colbert are a reminder of how powerful they can be.

The host of The Colbert Report talks about being called “queer” a lot by bullies in school and how he didn’t like it. But one day, his perspective changed. He watched as a friend of his was called “queer” by a bully and the friend retorted: “Yeah, I am a queer. Kiss me, I’ll prove it.” The bully was dumbfounded and quietly walked away.

“If you don’t give power to the words that people throw at you to hurt you, they don’t hurt anymore,” Colbert says in the video. “You actually have power over those people.”