High school anti-bullying campaigner gets surprise boost from Lagy Gaga

I’m pretty cynical of celebrity “talking head” cause endorsements, but this one is so sincere it moved me.

Jacques St. Pierre is a 17-year-old Canadian who is also student council president of his Toronto-area high school, the Etobicoke School of the Arts. He has also been a victim of bullying.

He told the CBC, “I got called the gay kid, the fag, because I liked to be in the school plays. I lost my best friend because he joined in with the bullies. It’s not fun, I’ve been there, I’ve been bullied. Before that, I didn’t know bullying could affect people so severely.”

A determined cause campaigner, Jacques organized a school assembly with an anti-bullying theme. He called on other students to pledge to put a stop to all forms of bullying. And, just for fun, he sent out e-mails to celebrities asking for support.

Lady Gaga actually wrote him back. And more.

“The subject line said ‘To Jacques from Lady Gaga It said ‘click on the link below to download the video for your assembly.’ So no questions asked, Lady Gaga sent us a video. I watched it, and I started crying. I’m a huge fan. It’s kind of embarrassing because I love her so much. I couldn’t believe it.”

The video is touchingly personal and not at all what you would expect from a pop superstar known for her outrageous antics. Instead, she connects with Jacques in a down-to-earth and loving way. But then again, this is a woman who is known for connecting with her fans in surprisingly intimate ways.

Lady Gaga is a well-known anti-bullying crusader in the United States, and has recently launched a foundation to try to prevent bullying and suicides of LGBT youth.

See the video after the break.

(Video via The Toronto Star)

Thanks to Laura N. for the tip.

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