Like most people, I was sickened when I heard the story about Tyler Clementi, the 18 year old college student who killed himself after learning his roommate had secretly taped him being intimate with another man. The roomate posted the live videostream on Twitter, urging people to watch.
I’m struggling with words right now. Sputtering, really. I’m disgusted, I’m furious and I’m sad. Tyler Clementi was gay. Apparently he was in the closet, too. But his secret was revealed - in the most horrific, cruel and nightmarish way. By a bully. A coward at a keyboard.
Ellen DeGeneres posted a video today about this. She offers some resources on her site that might help. We’ve also got a few books that might help.
In the end what will really help? We need to keep our eyes and ears open – to the taunts and the teasing. And cyberbullying? How do we police that? It’s daunting. If you know of any good books or videos or any other resources that you feel address the issue at hand, tell me about them. I’ll post them on this blog.
-Virginia