California state Assembly considers anti-gay bullying bill

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Tehachapi, Calif. — Gay San Francisco Democrat and State Rep. Tom Ammiano is introducing a new anti-bullying bill in honor of Seth Walsh, a gay teenager who killed himself last year.

Seth Walsh, 2007-2010

Walsh's classmates in the southern California town of Tehachapi started teasing him about his sexuality when he was in the fifth grade, and his mother Wendy said that even a teacher called him "fruity."

Seth tried to stand up to the teasing, but he ended up hanging himself from a plum tree in his backyard last December. He was just 13-years-old, and he left a note telling his family he was sorry.

"I love you," Seth wrote in his suicide note. "Thank you for having me. It's been a pleasure. I know this will bring you much pain, but I will hopefully be in a better place than this shithole. Make sure to make the school feel like shit for bringing you this sorrow."

His mother said that Seth was ridiculed, pushed into lockers, and pushed to the ground. She said that the assistant principal told her to "remind him next year" when she talked with him about the bullying Seth endured.

Ammiano's office said that "Seth's Law" would require districts to create policies and procedures to prohibit discrimination, harassment, intimidation and bullying, and would require districts to report incidents.

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