Pink Day: The true face of bullying in Hamilton

Racist comments. Sexual slurs. Feelings of loneliness and inadequacy.

These are just a few of the things students from Hamilton say they've had to endure because of bullying. On International Day of Pink, CBC Hamilton asked students from Orchard Park Secondary School in Stoney Creek to think about a moment when they felt bullied and explain what happened or express how it felt. Their answers are in the photo gallery above.

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Their responses are poignant, brave, and in some cases, tough to read. All of the students were eager to express their stories and participate.

Not every answer ended up in the gallery. One response from a young woman that said "Being called a dumb slut for expressing my opinion" was nixed by her parents after they were called by the school board as was a response from a 16-year-old that simply read "Being called a whore."

The board made calls to parents after expressing concerns over the nature of some of their student's responses.

The tradition of wearing pink on April 9 started back in 2007 in a Nova Scotia high school, when two older students stood up for a ninth grade boy who is gay, who was being bullied for wearing pink on the first day of school. The Grade 12 students decided to wear pink in support and the movement has since spread throughout Canada. Orchard Park school was awash with pink clothing and anti-bullying slogans Wednesday.

For more information on the movement, visit Dayofpink.org.