On the eve of the National Anti-Bullying Summit, the world lost Jamey Rodemeyer, 14, after years of tormenting and bullying for his sexuality. Earlier in the year, Rodemeyer filmed an “It Gets Better” video – but despite his efforts, the teen could not cope. Now, beloved frontwoman Lady Gaga has stepped forward with a message: “Bullying must become illegal. It is a hate crime. I am meeting with our president. I will not stop fighting.”
Lady Gaga paid tribute to the young ‘monster’ at the sold out iHeartRadio concert in Las Vegas. “We lost a little monster this week. … Jamey, I know you’re looking down on us. And you’re not a victim. You’re a lesson to all of us.”
Gaga honored Rodemeyer just hours before he was laid to rest in his native Buffalo, N.Y. where friends and family members gathered in remembrance of the gay teen.
Tracy Rodemeyer, Jamey’s mother ,told CBS News, “It was his dream in his life to meet (Lady Gaga) and tell her how she influenced him.”
“It’s up to us to make a change because of this. It’s up to us to stop the bullying,” explained Alyssa Rodemeyer, Jamey’s sister. “It’s up to us to spread his message.”
In her tribute, Lady Gaga concluded, “I wrote this record about how your identity is really all you’ve got when you’re in school … I know it’s a bit of a downer, but sometimes the right thing is more important than the music,” MTV News reports.
As to Gaga’s meeting with President Obama, no formal dates have been announced.
This is a developing story; stay tuned for details.
