Yahoo Lifestyle 
Justin Bieber urges bullies to stop after teen boy tragically takes his own life
Justin Bieber has spoken out against bullying, after a gay teen died following relentless targeting due to his sexual orientation.
The pop star’s support came in the form of an Instagram caption paying a tribute to 15-year-old Nigel Shelby who took his own life on April 19.
“This is horrible. I hate this with a passion.. stop the hatred please!” Justin wrote as part of the impassioned plea.
“I don’t understand how people can be so ignorant and hateful.”
The outreach comes after Nigel, who was from Huntsville, Alabama, took his own life, amid reports he was targeted by classmates for being openly gay.
A post shared by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) on Apr 23, 2019 at 3:52pm PDT
“Nigel took his life because he was bullied for being gay. There are no words that can be said to make sense of this devastating news,” Rocket City Pride, a Huntsville-based organisation for LGBTQ+ said in a statement.
Friends and family of the student also flooded social media with tributes in the wake of his death, with some pleading for better support for vulnerable teenagers.
“He was bullied, teach your children to do better,” one person wrote to Facebook.
A candlelight vigil was also held in his honour, and a Go Fund Me page was established to provide financial aid to his family and help pay for the funeral.
We are heartbroken over the death of Nigel Shelby, a 15 year old Freshman at Huntsville High School. Nigel took his life…
Posted by Rocket City Pride on Saturday, April 20, 2019
One woman who donated said she ‘couldn’t fathom’ experiencing such a loss, and hoped more would be done to educate others to avoid similar tragedies.
“Bullying is awful, but it happens. I’m just praying for this family and that others are educated in ways to handle bullying before anything tragic occurs,” she wrote.
Nearly 700 others contributed to the fund, which had raised more than $38,000AUD by Tuesday evening (AEST), surpassing its $36,570AUD goal.
If you are concerned about the mental health of yourself or a loved one, seek support and information by calling Lifeline on 13 11 14, Mensline on 1300 789 978, or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
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