September of 2010 was a rough month, not only for our campus with the hate crimes, but also for the LGBT community. It was the month in which Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers freshman that had been electronically spied on by his roommate, took his own life. The media then seemed to report a number of LGBT youth completing suicides, one after another. While the soul-crushing events have their obvious downside, the increased media exposure and heightened awareness has lead to the It Gets Better campaign, empowering people to step forward and support those that may need a little extra help.
Next week’s New Yorker will feature an article detailing Tyler’s suicide and the trial of Dharun Ravi, the roommate that faces criminal charges in the case. The story fills in the events leading up to Tyler’s disappearance, showing the roommate’s [sadly all-too-common] point of view. The case also casts a dark and sinister cloud on the usual golden children of social media and technology.
Read the full story yourself, but make sure you have tissues close:
The Story of a Suicide by Ian Parker
Thanks to Jeff for the link!
