OC Teen Takes A Stand Against Gay Bullying Via YouTube, Goes Viral
A YouTube video produced and posted by 14-year-old Jonah Mowry of Lake Forest in August has gone viral, raking in over 7 million views. In the silent video, the teen holds up note cards detailing his heavy life as a closeted gay teen and essentially comes out of the closet to his parents and the online world.
He introduces himself via card, then holds another up that reads, "I look happy, right?" The following card informs, "Well, IM.NOT." He admits to cutting himself. He bears his scars. He reveals thoughts of suicide. He writes, "I get bullied everyday........This started in 1st grade." And the soon-to-be eighth grader fights back tears the entire time.
It's a striking, heart-wrenching video of human emotion, of a teenager being scared to return to school because people hate him. Why do they hate him? Because he's gay.
Shockingly, Mowry holds up a card that reads, "Cuz I kinda hate me too..." Here's where viewers may start to get a little worried about this tortured teen, but then he thankfully shows a card stating, "I have a million reasons to be Here." Exhale.
Four months after he made and posted the video, Mowry posted an update to YouTube, explaining why he made it and how its wild viral success has impacted his life. "In the last few months everything eventually came out in the open, I felt a huge weight off my shoulders; I'm happy, I'm excepted for who I am, I'm more confident and feel stronger every day," he wrote. Advocacy groups have praised the teen for taking a stand against bullying and homophobia.
Mowry's mother told ABC, "There are a lot of people that are giving their warm wishes and uplifting Jonah, and I think that's good."
