Stuck Tailgate 2000 Chevy Silverado 2500

Feel free to laugh at me later, but I have a serious question and problem. When I was loading the camper in March I must have bumped the metal box protecting the utility connections on my Lance against the steel stud that the tailgate latches to. When I removed my camper from the truck in July the steel stud on the driver's side was bent toward the cab (along with a bit of the surrounding sheet metal). I tried to straighten it with a hammer but that did not work. My wife urgently needed me to haul a few loads of topsoil and bark dust so I used brute force to make the tail gate latch. Now I need to remove the tail gate so I can mount my camper for a fishing trip. I have tried everything I can think of to get the tailgate to unlatch. This morning I put a bottle jack and a 2x4 in the bed and had my wife lift the tailgate latch while I pumped the bottle jack but everything is still stuck. I have to leave in two days for a long fishing trip. I have decided to use my sawzall to cut the tail gate in pieces so I can remove it and then buy another tailgate when I need it next summer. It appears new tailgates only cost a couple hundred dollars (plus painting to match). Any other ideas? I need to fix this by tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest.

Thanks and Happy Camping.