Mother Of Bullied Gay Teen Says Son Uplifted By Support
Dec. 5 2011, Published 10:30 a.m. ET
By Breaking Celebrity News Staff
The mother of Jonah Mowry -- the openly gay Lake Forest, California 14-year-old who’s garnered attention for an emotional YouTube video he posted describing the anguish he faces growing up amongst ignorant bullies -- says she's thankful her son has received great support from the community.
Peggy Sue Mowry tells ABC News, "There are a lot of people that are giving their warm wishes and uplifting Jonah, and I think that's good. ... I am proud of the responses we've gotten from people."
The video, titled "Whats going on," has recently gone viral, collecting more than 5 million views, and catching the attention of stars like Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin and Jane Lynch, who've all tweeted supportive messages to Jonah after viewing it.
In it, we see a silent Jonah sobbing, as Sia's "Breathe Me" plays; he goes through a series of index cards in which he describes some of the slurs he is labeled by classmates, the cutting habit he picked up as a coping mechanism, and the inner turmoil he feels as a result.
The clip ends on an upbeat note, with the resurgent boy holding up a card that reads, "I'm not going anywhere, because I'm stronger than that. I have a million reasons to be here."
Peggy Sue said she was "disappointed" that some naysayers called the video a hoax after a second video of a calmer Jonah, talking with a friend, surfaced online.
"He's a child,” she said. “He's a 14-year-old boy. He's very young."