LAS VEGAS — Entertainer Lady Gaga on Saturday performed a tribute for Williamsville, N.Y. gay teen Jamey Rodemeyer, at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas.
Jamey, 14, committed suicide last week after enduring years of anti-gay bullying at school and online. He was laid to rest on Saturday.
“We lost a little monster this week and I wanted to dedicate this song to him tonight,” Gaga said before playing her song about identity and individuality, “Hair.”
During the emotional performance, Gaga said “Jamey, I know you’re up there looking on us, and you’re not a victim, you’re a lesson to all of us.”
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
At one point, Gaga shouted “Bullying is for losers.”
Watch the tribute here:
Jamey was a devoted fan of Lady Gaga, and was inspired by her message of tolerance when he created his “It Gets Better” video in May.
“Lady Gaga, she makes me so happy, and she lets me know that I was born this way,” Jamey said in his video. “Hold your head up and you’ll go far. Because that’s all you have to do, just love yourself and you’re set,” he added, echoing the lyrics of Gaga’s hit, “Born this Way.”
Last week, Jamey’s mother said she would bury Jamey in a t-shirt that reads “Born This Way.”
