Sunday evening saw a vigil being held for Tyler Clementii in the Rutgers University. It was a highly emotional evening, which saw the union of various student organizations and the LGBT communities in a common desire for social justice.
The college community and students wore pins reading ‘Pride’ as they stood silently with burning white candles. The Vice President of Student Affairs of the University said that the whole campus was in mourning and was trying to come to terms with the terrible tragedy that happened amidst them. Students who were present at the vigil placed stress on the need for civility, empathy and human dignity.
Tyler Clementii, 18, had committed suicide after his roommate aired his sexual encounter with another man online. Tyler had updated his mobile status on Facebook to "jumping off the gw bridge sorry." before jumping off the George Washington Bridge.
Tyler’s room mate, Dharun Ravi, 18, and Molly Wei, 18 have been charged with invasion of privacy and may face further charges of bias also. The duo had used a secretly placed webcam to record and air the events that occurred in the dorm room.
Following the suicide, the President of the Rutgers University has decided to meet the college’s gay community. He felt that although the university had a history of being socially active on behalf of diversity, the university mirrors the imperfection in the society. The college authorities have also had to deal with concerned parents as they question the climate in the campus and the acceptance of diversity in the University. Although the Tyler’s family has remained quiet throughout their time of personal sorrow, this incident has raised a lot of legal and emotional issues.
