Nigel Shelby, a 15-year-old Hunstville, Alabama took his own life last week after he was bullied for being gay at his high school. He was in 9th grade.
Since his death, friends and family have spread messages of love and tolerance across social media. A fellow schoolmate of Shelby, Nadia M. Richardson, started a mental health awareness campaign called No More Martyrs.
“I am still processing this loss, we have so much to understand and so much work to do. Racism, sexism, homophobia, classism; all of this plays a part. Bullying is a by-product of a world ill-equipped to include that which is deemed different. As a result, psychologically damaging othering occurs and leaves many isolated, self-loathing and depressed. Don’t shy away from the necessary conversations around this. The cost is too high.”
And the bullying didn’t stop after his death. A police officer was suspended after writing an anti-gay post on an article about the suicide. Deputy Jeff Graves wrote the comments on a post shared by a TV station from Nigel’s hometown.
He wrote: “Liberty, Guns, Bible, Trump BBQ. That’s my kind of LGBTQ movement. I’m seriously offended there is such a thing such as the movement. Society cannot and should not accept this behavior.”
Recommended Reading: Our culture of shame is failing LGBTQ+ youth. Nigel Shelby’s story is a tragic reminder of how we’re failing our most at-risk young people.