CULTURE: Clay Aiken stumps for anti-bullying bill in DC: “I was picked on, I was called gay, I was called fag, I was called sissy, you name it.”

Singing star Clay Aiken, who came out publicly in 2008 after the birth of his son, was among those who appeared at a Capitol Hill briefing last week to urge Congress to pass two bills that would require schools to address bullying and harassment targeting LGBT students, Greg in Hollywood reports.

“Like many kids now in middle schools and high schools, I was bullied,” Clay said. “I was picked on, I was called gay, I was called fag, I was called sissy, you name it. Fortunately, I was able to overcome it and live through it because of a number of friends who were supportive of me.”

The briefing was organized by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) to draw public attention to the two pending bills, the Safe Schools Improvement Act and the Student Non-Discrimination Act.

Clay joined Louis Van Amstel of Dancing with the Stars and parents Sirdeaner Walker of Massachusetts and Tammy Aaberg of Minnesota whose sons took their own lives earlier this year due to anti-gay bullying.

Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), who introduced the Safe Schools Improvement Act, and Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.), who introduced the Student Non-Discrimination Act, also spoke at the briefing, calling on their colleagues to support the legislation.