Last fall several famous faces -- from Ellen DeGeneres to President Barack Obama -- participated in an anti-bullying campaign called “It Gets Better” via YouTube video to let LGBTs (lesbian, gay, bi or transsexuals) know they aren't alone. But there is a sad casualty.
Though the project has grown into something of an international movement and inspired tens of thousands of people to create their own “It Gets Better” video, the reality for Jamey Rodemeyer, a 14-year-old boy from Buffalo, New York, didn't deliver.
Though Rodemeyer made his own “It Gets Better” video back in May, he was found dead after an apparent suicide. In the video, he spoke frankly about being bullied in grade school.
“People would just keep sending me hate, telling me that gay people go to hell… It was a constant taunting. The same people over and over.”
In spite of the counselling and social support Rodemeyer received, it clearly wasn't enough to save him.
It's not enough to teach our kids to love themselves and to be resilient in the face of taunts, we must teach them to be tolerant of others. Empathy starts at home.
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