Ahead of the weekend, the tragic news broke that 13 year old student Tyrone Unsworth had taken his life; a result of constant bullying from schoolmates over his sexuality. According to his mother, Tyrone had been the target of bullying constantly since he was in Year 5.
“He was a really feminine male,” she said. “He loved fashion, he loved make-up and the boys always picked on him, calling him ‘gay-boy’, ‘faggot’, ‘fairy’; it was a constant thing since Year 5.”
As the very real issues facing our LGBTQI community continue to be dulled or even avoided by many people, particularly those in positions of influence in Government, it’s no surprise that people of all different ages feel subpar or constantly judged just for being themselves.
Young people, children especially, can be incredibly harsh with uneducated opinions but as the case of Tyrone Unsworth has unfortunately proven, this is behaviour that is influenced and taught.
With the public outpouring of grief surrounding Tyrone’s death quickly surfacing online in the last few days, there has been a lot of support for his family as well. A Go Fund Me campaign established to help his family with funeral costs has already been achieved and more, with over $20,000 raised so far.
Today, we saw Sydney artist Jack Colwell release “No Mercy”, an evocative and candid song in honour of Tyrone. Available for purchase via his Bandcamp, all proceeds from single sales will go towards QLife, a project led by the National LGBTI Health Alliance.
A rousing song written recently to rally against homophobia, Colwell explains the origins of “No Mercy” and how it remains relevant to both his past and his present life.
“I wrote this song a few months ago, and it came to me very quickly.” he says. “I was feeling very angry about the campaign against Safe Schools that was gathering steam. It is also a song connects my past to my present. It describes my personal experience of homophobia, and living in fear, but as an adult I have learnt to reclaim that fear, and reclaim the words used to torture me.”
“To me the song challenges the notion of ‘who’ or ‘what’ we see as a ‘faggot’, or what being labelled as being different means. When I first began performing the song live, I felt very anxious about it. While I am proud of the song and its message, I understand that it can be perceived as being quite extreme. Performing it in front of friends and family certainly felt exposing – but each time I perform it, I feel more and more confident in its message.”
You can hear the rawness in Colwell’s voice as he channels pain and frustration through the lyrics and, in the wake of recent events, it’s a cathartic expression no doubt many can relate to.
“After a year that has seen a sustained campaign against the Safe Schools program, the suicide of a 13-year-old boy who wanted nothing more than to grow up to be a vet or a fashion designer, and our government moving LGBTQI people around as though we’re chess pieces, I felt I had to release this song urgently to let young people know that we’re listening to them, and that we hear them and see them. I hope this song can empower young queer people who may be struggling.”
“I do dream of a world where every child has the same opportunities, and I do believe we’re born into this world free of prejudice and are taught to view differences as competitive, rather than harmonious. I believe the Safe Schools program can save lives, and educate people not to fear ‘the unknown’.”
Listen to “No Mercy” below and get behind this very, very worthy cause.
Visit Colwell’s Bandcamp HERE to buy and download “No Mercy”.
If you would like to learn more about QLife’s counselling and referral services for people of all ages, visit www.qlife.org.au or call 1800 184 527.
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