Jamey Rodemeyer—the 14-year-old high school freshman from Buffalo, N.Y. who recently committed suicide after enduring years of bullying for his sexuality—was buried by his family yesterday, and in his honor Lady Gaga dedicated her iHeartRadio Music Festival performance of "Hair" to him. Rodemeyer was a huge Gaga fan, and even thanked her in his final blog post. His death seems to have had a profound effect on the pop star, who's announced on her Twitter that she wants to meet with President Obama to press for legislation that would make bullying a hate crime.

A criminal investigation into Rodemeyer's death is underway, and police say some students might be charged with harassment, cyberharassment, or hate crimes. "The abuse Rodemeyer and others like him endure—gay teens are as much as four times as likely to kill themselves as heterosexuals—is a reminder of how far we are from a day when sexual orientation is no bigger a deal than someone's hair color," writes columnist Donn Esmonde in today's Buffalo News. "There is little doubt in my mind that the gay-hostile climate gay teens live in is shaped by a society that still delivers a spirit-breaking message: If you are gay, there is something wrong with you."

[Buffalo News, YouTube, via Radar]