Tyler Clementi’s family become advocates after suicide
SEPTEMBER 21, 2014, 1:29 PM LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2014, 1:29 PM
BY SEAN CARLIN
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW BRUNSWICK — Tyler Clementi’s family could have stayed silent after he killed himself.
They could have, understandably, hid from the spotlight and attention thrust upon them when he jumped from the George Washington Bridge after his roommate’s webcam captured him with another man inside his Rutgers dorm room.
But four years after his death, the Clementis have used the pain they still feel every day to encourage acceptance and eradicate bullying.
“We could have retreated,” said Clementi’s father, Joseph, who with his family founded the Tyler Clementi Foundation. “We didn’t want to see this kind of thing happen to other kids and have it affect other families the way it affected ours.”
Just weeks into his freshman year, Clementi, of Ridgewood, jumped off the George Washington Bridge on Sept. 22, 2010. His roommate, Dharun Ravi, ultimately served 20 days in jail after being convicted of bias intimidation, invasion of privacy and other crimes.
The Clementi foundation raises awareness of bullying and cyber-bullying, particularly in the LGBT community. Its initiatives include building support for LGBT and vulnerable youth through partnerships and legislative advocacy, as well as having family members speak at different organizations and groups to encourage more “inclusive environments.”
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/tyler-clementi-s-family-become-advocates-after-suicide-1.1093033#sthash.NuDDHF1u.dpuf
God bless the family. I cannot even imagine the pain they must feel, it is unimaginable. By advocating for gay rights they are at least making something positive come from a horrible tragedy.