David LaChapelle: 'I Dropped Out of School Because I Was Bullied'

The push for Bully, the Lee Hirsch-directed documentary about teens who are bullied, to get less than an 'R' rating rages on.

Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who has been very, very vocally pushing for the film to get a PG-13 rating--ostensibly so more kids can see it and so he can sell more tickets--has struck again, today with an item in the New York Post's Page Six about a celebrity-packed screening of the flick where there was "barely a dry eye" among stars like Michelle Trachtenberg, Andre Leon Talley, Prabal Gurung, Paul Haggis, and Rachel Roy.

"Everyone must see this film. It is hard to watch, but it shows bullying is as intense as ever in schools. Now it doesn't stop at the school bell -- it carries on in social media, online and on text," said photographer David LaChapelle. "I dropped out of school because I was bullied by a group who subjected me to unrelenting harassment because I dressed different. It ranged from 'faggot' being written on my locker to five guys waiting outside of the classroom. There was nobody to help. I never finished high school -- I dropped out at 15 and came to New York, and it saved my life."

The photographer, whose muses have included Madonna and Amanda Lepore, went on to say, ""I was in tears watching this film. For each of those kids shown there are thousands more being bullied for not fitting in, for being or looking different, or being gay. People need to see this film to see what our kids endure, and to change this."

Weinstein himself weighed in on the importance of the film, explaining that he'll meet with the motion picture ratings board this week to fight the restricted rating for the film. "We feel it is our duty to continue to ... fight for the PG-13 rating Bully deserves," he said.