Tonight I would like to dedicate my performance of La donna del lago to the memory of Carlos Vigil – a New Mexican teen who committed suicide after being mercilessly bullied throughout school. His suicide note is beyond tragic.
But I would also like to dedicate it to every single child who bullied him along the way, and those who stood by silently as well–may they witness the great loss of a precious human life and experience a RADICAL change of heart, working to obliterate bullying and discrimination for the rest of their days.
Rest in peace, Carlos.
Carlos Vigil, a 17-year-old from New Mexico, posted a suicide letter on Twitter: “I'm sorry for not being a person that would make someone proud”, saying he was “a loser, a freak and a fag” . Carlos' father saw the note on Twitter and found his son unconscious at home. On Tuesday, the family decided to switch off his life support. His organs have been transplanted.
Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.
His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.
Thank you for speaking up and honoring Carlos’ life – you gave him the dignity and respect he never felt from his peers at school or elsewhere.