Lee Thompson, the 29-year-old uncle to
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo star Alana Thompson, supports Spirit
Day.
Thompson, referred to on the show as
Uncle Poodle, who recently publicly announced he's gay, recorded a
video in support of Friday's Spirit Day, which supports efforts to
combat the bullying of LGBT teens.
“Being gay in the South, people don't
like it,” Thompson says in the 1-minute video released by GLAAD.
“Why? You have homophobes that want to beat you and bully you and
name-call you and hurt you in any kind of way.”
“Growing up as a kid, I was bullied
day in and day out in school – broke ribs, dislocated jaw, cars
vandalized. I've had cars vandalized to this day.”
“But I have a family that stands by
me, supports me. I have a niece that's a lesbian that I love to
death. I support her non-stop and I tell her it's okay to be who you
are.”
“I'm wearing purple today to let
every youngster and every teen know it is okay to be who you are.
Don't let nobody change that,” he adds. (The video is embedded on
this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)