Type to search

Icon

Gay Teen Hero Who Defended Himself From Homophobic Bully Finally Graduates High School

Savas Abadsidis May 13, 2021
Share

Jordan Steffy the high school student who made headlines when videos of him fighting back against a homophobic bully who called him a faggot went viral back in November of 2019, just graduated. Steffy wrote on his Instagram page: “Here’s to 2021 ???? finally done. ✅”

Steffy was 16 at the time of the incident.

Fellow classmates claimed Steffy had been called “faggot” for years by various bullies. But this particular kid was new, and apparently looking to establish his authority. He had allegedly been spreading a screenshot of Steffy on Snapchat calling him a faggot with eggplant emojis placed in front of Steffy’s mouth.

Steffy had finally had enough and fought back. The entire incident was posted by Steffy in a series of Tweets [Steffy has since deleted his Twitter account] embedded with video of him striking back at the bully.

A second video of the incident, that at the time had been viewed 6 million times, the bully can be heard saying, “Don’t fucking put your hands on me faggot.”

Steffy then takes a swing, warning: “Don’t call me a fucking faggot.”

RELATED: Every Gay Boy Who’s Ever Been Bullied Stans Jordan Steffy Smacking the Kid Who Called Him A Faggot: WATCH

The Advocate said at the time: Gay teenager Jordan Steffy is getting a lot of support from LGBTQ Twitter after sharing a video of him punching out a boy he described as a homophobic bully. Steffy, a junior at LaPorte High School in LaPorte, Ind., said the other boy had posted a hateful message about him on Snapchat. “He made an antigay post with a picture of me on it saying how he hated gays and a bunch of throwing-up emojis all over it,” Steffy told news website Insider. “I walked up to him and said, ‘Why did you post this?’ He said, ‘It was just a post.’ And I said, ‘Well, it’s not just a post. It’s a post about me, saying how you dislike who I am, and I don’t appreciate that.’ He went on to say, ‘OK, but what are you going to do about it?’ I said, ‘I’m not going to deal with this, this is the last time I’m called anything.’ And then he said, ‘What are you going to do about it, faggot?’ And that’s when I was like, ‘No, I’m not doing this.’”

The video, posted to Twitter Friday, shows Steffy telling the other student, whose name was not made public, “Call me a faggot one more fuckin’ time, and I’m gonna fuckin’ pop yo’ ass.” Steffy shoved and punched the boy. Steffy said he’s been bullied since he came out in seventh grade. He has reported several incidents to school administrators, but “it seemed like I was getting in more trouble for reporting it than I was if I didn’t say anything at all,” he told Insider.

He expressed some regret for using physical force. “If I could take it back, personally, I would,” he said. “But I’m glad I stood up for myself. If you were in my shoes, you’d probably get sick of it and you’d want to stand up for yourself.” He said on Twitter that he and the other student were suspended, and that Steffy’s mother is now planning to homeschool him. School officials did not respond to Insider’s requests for comment.

The support from the LGBT community was something #GayNrd said at the time, “we’re all really coming together today to celebrate our boy Jordan rocking that bully’s shit for real. Happy Wassup Day!”

Out Magazine said of the incident: “Steffy, defending himself against another student calling him anti-gay slurs. Steffy took action by physically fighting back, and the internet responded with an explosion of cheers.  High school can be rough for any young person. The complexity of adolescence, the politics of friend groups, looming adulthood, and the constantly shifting terrain of who is “in” and who is “out.” Now imagine on top of all that having to endure being called homophobic names every day. Unfortunately, I’m sure all too many of us can relate.

As the video went viral, it was unsurprising to learn there were so many reshares and retweets, memes, and comments in support of the student’s actions. This was a real-life moment of resistance and so many LGBTQ+ people who have themselves endured the trauma of harassment, violence, and bullying at school felt fully vindicated at that moment. Except for the fact that Jordan Steffy, like all of us, deserves better.

The Gayly Grind said: Steffy taught a lesson to everyone in that room and everyone who saw the video. Violence is wanted, but is sometimes necessary. This is how we survive at times. “I really can’t believe people actually are around to tell me that it was ok to stick up for myself!” Jordan tweeted in response to the support he received on Twitter after sharing the video.

“I honestly was just looking for an apology,” Steffy wrote. “But he acted like it was no big deal and that has been the word to define me since 2nd grade.”

Gay Twitter praised Jordan for taking a stand after years of torment:

There was an expression of collective rage and vindication that was nicely summed up: “When I say that this baby slapped him with the hands of Harvey Milk and EVERY ancestor at Stone Wall….”

Honestly Jordan might’ve knocked that particular vocabulary out of his head for good. Icon

Stay strong dont don’t let any one take your spirit down. IF you ever need an ear to talk to message me on IG WE ARE ALL HERE TO SUPPORT YOU.

He channeled Harvey Milk, Marsha P Johnson, and took inspiration from  @iamcardi. Good job @JordanSteffy1 sticking up for yourself and show you are powerful.

“Don’t call me a fucking faggot.” Young Jordan Steffy swinging the fist that every bullied gay boy aged 11 to 111 dreamt of throwing themselves. I’m gonna quote the youth of today – We stan a King!

This is how every single bullied LGBTQ+ person feels every day at school; most don’t pop the shit out of the asshole who calls them a “faggot” though (a big regret of mine bc he still goes around dragging everyone else down with him).

JordanSteffy1 You’ve started a revolution for all LGBTQ folks younger & older. The name Jordan Steffy is added to the list of names of all of the Pioneers of the LGBTQ movement who have fought against bigotry & abuse. We‘re family #stonewall

No one should ever allow themselves to be a victim of anyone’s bullying. #JordanSteffy caught and unleashed the SPIRITS of Bayard Rustin, Harvey Milk, Willie Ninja, Dorian Corey and the many unknown #LGBTQ folks that stick up for themselves. Good for you!

Jordan Steffy had been called ‘faggot’ one time too many and was DONE. This time Jordan not only clapped back but slapped back.

In the days that followed, Steffy talked to Tamron Hall on her eponymous daytime talk show where he explained in detail  what led to the fight. Hall noted that the bully was now getting attacked on social media, and Jordan told Hall he wants it to stop: “I want all the negative comments going towards him to stop.”

Steffy appeared on Hall’s show twice, first on November 14, 2019 (below).

And then on November 15, 2019 where he went into more details (below).

In the days that followed the school suspended him and the bully, but his suspension was longer “due to the fighting.” Steffy added, “But I am taking it as a lesson to not be anyone’s doormat and to leave your shoes at the door.”

Asked if he was ok, he wrote: “Yes I’m good better than ever – I honestly can’t thank people enough for all the support! Thank you for taking the time to check!”

One parent wrote, “As a mom, I think you did good.”

“So did mine she told me that she does not condone fighting but this is something she told me it was ok to use to stick up for me and many people who are who they choose to be,” he wrote in response.

My mom is pulling me into homeschool just because she doesn’t agree with how” the school handled the incident, Jordan writes.

“I want other kids who are going through the same thing day in to day out from friends, classmates, random people to stick up for themselves and to better them for them and to have confidence,” he wrote.

Parting shot, because it never gets old:

We wish Jordan Steffy a happy and hopeful future.

Tags:
Previous Article
Next Article

You Might also Like

6-year-old CT Boy Had Gasoline Poured on Him and Lit on Fire By Bully
Savas Abadsidis April 27, 2022
Nick Stahl on Hollywood, Addiction, and Brad Renfro: ‘He Was More Severe in His Addiction than I Was’
Savas Abadsidis November 5, 2021

Related Stories

6-year-old CT Boy Had Gasoline Poured on Him and Lit on Fire By Bully
Nick Stahl on Hollywood, Addiction, and Brad Renfro: ‘He Was More Severe in His Addiction than I Was’

Trending & Hot

Visit Columbus, Ohio and Explore the Midwest’s Thriving Hub of LGBT Culture
Entertainment, Travel
Greyson Chance Talks About How He Gets In the Zone To Perform for Thousands: LISTEN
Music, Tea
Wasting No Time Biden Unleashes a Full-Scale Assault on Trump’s Legacy
Politics, Tea
Brian K. Vaughn Confirms the Return of ‘Saga’
Comics, Tea
Neil Patrick Harris: ‘Labels No Longer Define Us’—WATCH
Tea
Gaynrd LLC © 2022 All rights reserved.