Jake Shears' bullying hell

(BANG) - Scissor Sisters singer Jake Shears was the victim of vicious bullying after he came out as gay.

The flamboyant frontman revealed he was homosexual when he was just 15 and admits his brave decision resulted in him being constantly tormented at school.

Jake, who went to school in Arizona, claims the bullying got so bad that people even spat on him as he was walking to and from class.

He told British TV show Orange Playlist: "When I came out the reaction to me was horrible. It was bad, it was a big campus and I was always walking across and that was frightening. I would get spat on and get pushed around, and lots of kids would yell stuff.

"Now I look back it was probably a mistake to come out at school. I was dressing really crazy, wearing plaid skirts and leather. I was wearing anything I could find, anything I could get my hands on. I was the only gay kid at school. There was a heavy Mormon population, people were really conservative. People started asking me and I would say yes."

The 'Mary' singer - who was the only openly gay student at his school - became friends with the other "freaky kids" in his classes to cope with the bullying.

Shears admits his pals were bullied so badly they got hooked on drugs trying to escape the abuse of their tormentors.

He explained: "The freaky kids I befriended got addicted to crystal meth. They were complete junkies. I don't know how I got through that time - I never dabbled with anything. I had no desire to do it, but I didn't judge them for doing it."

(C) BANG Media International