Darlings, if you have reached your teens by now, or are beyond them, and do not yet recognize this sadly now iconic photo, then what planet have you been living on? The millennials have been living on Planet Entitlement, but what is everyone else's excuse?
This, of course, is Tyler Clementi, the bullied Rutgers University freshman, who took his life eight years ago this evening. I do this post each year, not to pain the Clementi family, but to remind myself and others that Tyler will not be forgotten. He brought bullying to a chilling attention, but, sadly, it has not stopped. Things are being done, but I doubt if it will be completely eradicated in my lifetime.
So, I will say to those who are in Tyler's situation--and they are out there, make no mistake about that--don't do what he did. If Tyler could speak today, I am sure he would tell kids the same thing.
I will add--whomever is abusing you, even if it parents or other family members, tell someone who can intervene and help, or get the hell away from them as fast as you can.
Those of us who are gay have an obligation to live the life Tyler wanted for himself, with dignity and freedom. Do not deny your chance to do so. If there is some kind of legacy his tragic death left behind, this is it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stand up for yourselves, and never back down to anyone!
Rest In Peace, Tyler!!!!!!!!!! Never to be forgotten!
And my heart goes out to the Clementis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a wonderful service you are doing. A 15-year-old co-produced our documentary Bullying: A Shameful Dilemma in 2012. Six years later we are still screening it. We just had a screening last night. It isn't easy. Because most people have no interest in the fact that young folks are dying. The suicide rate has skyrocketed and most affected are between the ages of 10 through 14 years of age! So, the few of us have to keep this disease of bullying front and center. People don't need to be bullied because they are considered wrong: the wrong age, the wrong skin, the wrong gender identity, etc.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThank you most sincerely for
the kind words. I would be interested
in seeing the documentary. Tyler Clementi's
death had such a personal impact on me--
I grew up across the river from Rutgers U,I was bullied
in school, and, at the time I had lost one friend
to suicide; in 2013 I would lose another.
I even wrote a note to the Clementis, not caring
if I got an answer. I wrote extensively on
this during the time, and I remember this day
every year.
But thank you for your kind and
supportive words.