The events mentioned in the interviews for this video do not pertain to the locations where it was filmed.  The student transferred schools and the school at which this was filmed has been supportive of both him and this video.
Ever since I was little, I was seriously abused
because of my mannerisms and way of talking
was not like other boys.
I was not supposed to be myself.
I needed to act like somebody else.
I always believed that.
In Japan there's a saying: "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down."
I was that nail sticking out...
and I got bullied very badly.
Since I was three, I knew I was gay.
When LGBT youth in Japan get bullied in school, they often have nowhere to turn.
Research finds that 1 out of 3 teachers in Japan think homosexuality is or might be a mental disorder.
Schools often prize conformity and harmony over a student's individual rights.
The attacks only got worse after I came out.
My homework that I needed to turn in to the teacher was scribbled on, stolen or thrown in the trash.
Not only the students but some of the teachers also openly showed hostility towards gays.
Japanese teachers should receive training about LGBT issues
and LGBT youth should be a protected group under Japan's anti-bullying law.
MANGA COMICS: Taiji Utagawa
VIDEOGRAPHY: Irene C. Herrera
