Cyber Bully Pulpit

     Last week Tyler Clementi, 18 and a Rutgers University student, took his own life after his roommate and a fellow dorm mate used a webcam to stream a sexual encounter between Tyler and another male.  After he found out about this betrayal, he posted to his Facebook page that he was was jumping off the George Washington Bridge.  His personal effects were found on the bridge, and his body was found on Wednesday.  His roommate and the other student face invasion of privacy charges, among others.
     This follows a string of well-publicized GLBT children suicides in recent weeks.  Billy Lucas hanged himself after enduring years of bullying.   Seth Walsh passed away this week after trying to hang himself in his family's backyard because of other students telling him he didn't deserve to live because he was gay.  It's not exactly a secret that GLBT youth are at higher risk for suicide than any other group.  But why is it that way?
     Focus on the Family, the religious group founded by James Dobson that advocates against gay rights, thinks this is just fine, thank you very much.  They have been active in trying to take homosexuality out of anti-bullying measures. This is a group that is tax-exempt and pushes anti-gay policy in Congress and the White House, during conservative administrations. 
     So basically, what they are saying: We don't want your kids to be bullied.  Unless they are gay.  Then, feel free.  Bully the kid til he kills himself.  It's on less homo we have to worry about oppressing! 
     When I was a kid, the older brother of a classmate shot himself in his family's home.  I remember years of hearing rumors about him being gay.  That he had a gay relationship with his uncle.  That he was a perv or a fag.  I didn't put the two together til much later, when a student at my college killed himself, and someone said he did it because he was gay.  People kill themselves every day, for a variety of reasons.  But for a tax-exempt religious group to try and say that cyber-bullying is only okay if the student is gay is unconscionable.  
      Dan Savage has started a new YouTube project, called "It Gets Better."  Look it up.  If you are GLBT, please take part.  It's important that we let kids know that it does get better.  Do you know a kid who is struggling with being bullied?  Let them know it's going to be okay.  Not everyone has a support system that they can talk about everything with.  Focus on your family!