(CNN)

For Joey Kemmerling, it was his decision to reveal his sexual orientation that triggered relentless bullying at school.

“I came out of the closet as gay in eighth grade and ever since I’ve been bullied. I was, for lack of a better word, and still am, the school faggot,” the 16-year-old Joey recently told CNN’s Anderson Cooper.

The Pennsylvania native said his decision to come out to classmates not only evoked a firestorm of vicious taunts but also led to a threat on his life.