Tyler Clementi was a Rutgers University student who committed suicide days after his roommate showed a video of him with his boyfriend to other students. And now, that roommate has been convicted of hate crimes, evidence tampering, and witness tampering in the case.
Mr. Ravi’s roommate, Tyler Clementi, jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge three days after Mr. Ravi viewed him on the webcam. The case became a symbol of the struggles facing gay, lesbian and bisexual teenagers and the problem of cyberbullying in an era when laws governing hate crimes have not kept up with evolving technology.
Ravi had said all along that this was only a prank, that he didn’t hate gays and it was all a terrible mistake. But he couldn’t explain why he deleted twitter feeds telling people to view the webcam and making disparaging remarks about gays.
Ravi’s conviction will not bring Tyler Clementi back. But it should serve notice to all who think that those of us who are gay and lesbian will sit back and just “take it” when we’re made the butt of “jokes” or hate speech. Maybe it’s time for gays to bash back. Maybe it’s time for us to bash our oppressors where it hurts – the pocketbook and the voting booth.