When Jonah Mowry posted this video on YouTube in August, he wrote, “I’m not going to kill myself, I just need to get this out.” The video has only just gone viral, and Perez Hilton is reporting that he has been in contact with Jonah and that the bullied teen is doing much better. “He is so touched by the love being sent his way,” Perez writes. “He tells us he is truly in a much better place. Happier and with friends who care! Plus, he tells us he is also getting some counselling, something we’d recommend to anyone going through difficult times.”
Jonah is an example of someone overcoming adversity and never giving up. I love the Trevor Project and what it represents, but it’s important to remember that bullying and homophobia don’t end with high school. People face prejudice their entire lives. It’s up to us to decide if we’re going to be defined by other people’s hatred. Unfortunately, when you’re 15, it’s hard to see the other side. Everything is so immediate. Youth live fully in the moment, which can be both beautiful and tragic.
With all the teen suicides that have been happening lately, Jonah is someone other kids can look up to because he is proof that in life, all things eventually pass.
So let the bad pass before you do.