New York boy, 14, kills himself after anti-gay bullying
A 14-year-old boy from Buffalo, New York, killed himself after suffering homophobic bullying.
Jamey Rodemeyer, a student at Williamsville North High School, had made an ‘It Gets Better’ YouTube video (see below) and said that pro-gay singer Lady Gaga was the “reason” he was still alive.
But the teenager, who came out to his close friends in May, was found dead on Sunday at his home.
He had blogged regularly about being taunted at school and messages were left on his Formspring account calling him “gay and ugly” and encouraging him to kill himself.
On September 9th, he wrote: “I always say how bullied I am, but no one listens. What do I have to do so people will listen to me?”
On Saturday night, he posted a line from a Lady Gaga song on his Facebook page: “Don’t forget me when I come crying to heaven’s door.”
Hours later, Jamey posted a tribute to the singer and wrote that he was looking forward to seeing his late great-grandmother again. He was found dead shortly afterwards.
The student’s friends had reported his messages to a school counsellor but the alarm may have been raised too late.
His mother, Tracy Rodemeyer, told Buffalo News that Jamey was seeing a social worker and a counsellor and shown suicidal tendencies for years.
She said: “He used to cry about the taunts from his peers but they didn’t seem to phase him this time. Lately, he’s been blowing them off, or at least we thought he was.”
Mrs Rodemeyer added: “He touched so many hearts, so many people. I didn’t realize how many people he touched.
“He was the sweetest, kindest kid you’d ever know. He would give all his heart to you before he gave any to himself.”