So sad to report, out of Buffalo:
Jamey Rodemeyer’s parents believe years of bullying drove their son to suicide. The Williamsville North freshman took his life Sunday, he was only 14 years old.
Jamey Rodemeyer posted a message online hoping that others would be inspired by his struggle with bullying. A part of the message reads, “That’s all you have to do. Just love yourself and you’re set. And I promise you, it’ll get better.”
Soon after coming home from a family camping trip, Jamey was found dead Sunday. His parents say he was always under pressure because of struggles with his sexuality.
Jamey’s mother Tracy Rodemeyer said, “So he hung around with the girls a lot, so then the teasing started happening like ‘Oh you’re such a girl or you’re gay or whatever and that bothered him for many years.”
Now, they want to carry in his message in hopes of preventing another tragedy like this one.
Jamey’s father Tim Rodemeyer said, “To the kids who are bullying they have to realize that words are very powerful and what you think is just fun and games isn’t to some people, and you are destroying a lot of lives.”
Here’s Jamey’s “It Gets Better” video.
Sadly, it seems that the hate that was spewed at him for so many years finally did get the best of him. I want to point out something in the video: did everyone notice that one of the things people were hurling at him was that he was going to go to hell? The Religious Right soullessly and callously claims that there is a difference between their bullying and the bullying kids inflict upon each other, but we know differently, and Jamey knew differently. The very message that gay kids are going to hell comes from fundamentalist religious people who love their ignorant, hateful ideology more than they love human beings like Jamey Rodemeyer. It’s then passed on to their children, who pass it on to other kids, such as this one.
Here’s the local news report on Jamey’s death:
Towleroad has much more.
