Homosexual Suicide a Letter to Rachel Maddow and Keith Olberman.

Rachel/Keith: I suggest, which I am sure you will do, a story on Tyler Clementi's suicide at Rutgers after two Rutgers students actually PHOTOGRAPHED him having relations with another man. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS. I HOPE that they throw the book at those two sad excuses for humanity who would, for their amusement, perpetrate such a thing on an innocent man.

My heart goes out to the Clementi family for their loss and for the NEEDLESS, UNNECESSARY and HORRIBLE suffering that young man must have endured before he took his life. An emphasis must be made, ESPECIALLY to help teens and young adults who may not have the psychological sophistication to understand that they are not alone. They sometimes, too, have not had the experience with political and social movements which have helped so many deal with this psychological assault and civil rights issue.

I thought about him last evening and how different the struggles for gay people are now as opposed to those who came before him. It was SURELY unacceptable in previous eras for gay people to admit to themselves their own homosexuality much less THINK about coming out to family and others. Times have changed. It is certainly better now with many homosexual rights having been secured in so many venues. AND yet it was almost easier in previous eras because one COULD, if one could endure it, remain secret, as most of the culture did not even talk about nor acknowledge issues of sexuality. It was not on the radar screen.

Because of so many successes securing the civil rights for so many gays and others, the issue is more conscious in our minds. Add to that the phenomena of the technological age, those who would be ready to bully or have a smug laugh at the expense of another person are MUCH more numerous and technologically connected. Through the Internet they now have the means to make one's private life public and harass them more effectively. WE MUST fight back.

I HOPE there is an outpouring from the gay community and its supporters for this wonderful student. He was a musician and seemingly such a quality person. Those who perpetrated this DASTARDLY deed need to have the BOOK thrown at them. I hope your show, the leadership in the gay community and others do NOT rest until the two who perpetrated the vile act of invading the privacy of this young man are prosecuted to the FULLEST extent of the law including FEDERAL hate crime charges. The possibilities for prosecution are NUMEROUS. They should be pursued with the VITRIOL and dogged determination which our ENEMIES, who want to defeat and cowardly intimate, use so effectively.

We live in noxious, angry and odious times and YET we live in the best of times for the cause. ALL those who are gay, who are struggling with being gay and those now who go on to live their lives with ease as well as other supportive allies SHOULD BE WALKING HAND IN HAND to help stop this evil among us. We must let others know there are MILLIONS not only here but all over the world who share their feelings. There is POWER in numbers. We should NOT falter and we should NOT fail to show ours!