TikTok sensation Luke Hamnett opens up about bullying: 'There is light at the end of the tunnel'

"I looked like the typical person you would bully: I had ginger hair, glasses, goofy teeth and I was gay - well, I was trying to deal with my sexuality. He said that bullying continued into high school, but as he got older he began using humour as a defence mechanism. I used to try to make them laugh as much as possible in order to get in on the joke rather than being the joke, even though it did hurt me a lot."

"I relayed it to my parents, he said of being bullied at school, adding: They were really supportive and used to go into the school and try to help me as much as possible. Luke first came out to his close friend at 15. I didn't know what my feelings were and it really scared me, especially coming out in 2007 - the world has since changed."

"He got so much hate for it. They used to shout loads of stuff at him and I remember thinking he was so brave because I knew I was gay too, and I didn't want the same heat. Countless studies have found that homophobic bullying in schools remains widespread. Research by Stonewall found that almost one in four LGBTQ+ pupils experience online bullying."

Luke Hamnett, a social media sensation with over two million followers, worked as a teacher and insurance salesman before achieving online fame. He experienced bullying from age five, with research showing that 55 percent of LGBTQ+ students face homophobic, biphobic, or transphobic bullying. Hamnett's bullying stemmed from his appearance and sexuality, which he struggled to understand as a child. His parents provided support by engaging with the school. As he matured, he developed humor as a defense mechanism to avoid being the target of jokes. He came out to a close friend at 15 in 2007, witnessing another student face significant backlash for coming out, which reinforced his fear of similar treatment.

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