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The bullying that led 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer to commit suicide earlier this month is not over.
Rodemeyer's parents, Tim and Tracy, shared a disturbing story this morning on the Today show of what happened when their daughter went to a school dance to take her mind off the death.
"We thought it would be great to be with all of her friends, then all of sudden a Lady Gaga song came on and they all started chanting for Jamey, all his friends and whatever," Tracy Rodemeyer said. "Then the bullies that put him into this situation started chanting 'You're better off dead, we're glad you're dead.'"
Their daughter returned home "all upset" that "it was supposed to be time for her to grieve and have fun with her friends and it turned into bullying even after he's gone."
Rodemeyer's parents say their son had stopped telling them about bullying at school, and that's given them a message to take to other parents.
"Badger your kids and make them talk, or get them the help they need. There are lots and lots of people that maybe they'll talk to," said Jamey's father, Tim. "We tried to get Jamey to talk to us constantly and he just kept it in, and he just put up a brave face." The bottom line is: "Do whatever you have to."
Both parents donned No H8 pins, and Jamey's mother wore an It Gets Better T-shirt and a Lady Gaga bandanna that Jamey made -- all part of their effort to pick up their son's message against bullying. Gaga herself has cited Rodemeyer's suicide while calling for tougher laws against bullying, and she dedicated a moving performance of "Hair" to Rodemeyer this weekend, when he was buried.
If ever her son did talk about bullying, Tracy Rodemeyer said it was stories about "sticking up for other people, because that's what he did."
lucasgrindley
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Lucas Grindley
Lucas Grindley is VP and Editorial Director for Here Media, which is parent company to The Advocate. His Twitter account is filled with politics, Philip Glass appreciation, and adorable photos of his twin toddler daughters.
Lucas Grindley is VP and Editorial Director for Here Media, which is parent company to The Advocate. His Twitter account is filled with politics, Philip Glass appreciation, and adorable photos of his twin toddler daughters.