Local News
13-year-old student “I didn’t even want to live anymore because I felt like, ‘You’re not OK with my sexuality”
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Deerfield Beach, Florida – The 13-year-old student recently endured a homophobic attack in Broward County. The South Florida community has shown an outpouring of support for Chad Sanford.
Even Tina Knowles, Beyoncé’s mother, shared it with a message: “Stop the Hate!” The video of the bullying incident went viral and the outrage spread.
It wasn’t easy to become the subject of so much attention. Being the target of bullies at Middle School was a traumatic experience. There was an impulse to hide, but Chad decided to talk publicly about his experience.
“It’s just sad because I wanted to do a suicide,” Chad said. “I didn’t even want to live anymore because I felt like, ‘You’re not OK with my sexuality. Why should I be around for you to like me?’”
About 40% of LGBTQ said they have seriously considered suicide, according to the 2020 Trevor Project Survey. Chad said the outpouring of support meant a lot to him.
“It made me feel like I am with somebody … It made me feel like, ‘You are not going to be fighting this battle by yourself.’ It just made me feel so great,” Chad said.
The Miami Heat and Miami Dolphins have also come across the story, Chad was a VIP guest at the Heat’s playoff game Saturday and won Justin Bieber concert tickets.
Local 10 News Anchor Louis Aguirre had a message for Chad during Friday’s 6 p.m. news: “Chad, we see you. We love you. And trust me … it gets better. It gets better. It really does. … Love is stronger than hate. Love will always overpower hate 100% of the time.”
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