The deep sorrow I feel over the senseless death of Tyler Clementi will not end soon. First let me say that I do not know Tyler or his parents personally. All of my information is from the news.
Of course I am deeply saddened to see a young man who should be on top of the world do something like this and my heart goes out to the parents. But how can we rest while we live in a society that compels a wonderful person to commit suicide over a sexual preference?
Why did this young man feel so humiliated that he took his own life? At this point we must believe that our culture's oppressive homophobia is the main reason. Perhaps more information about Tyler and his home situation will lead us in a different direction later. But for now, it looks like our nation lost a promising young man and a mother and father lost a son because Tyler Clementi would rather take his own life than drown in the Niagara of hate and fear that our society pours on Gays.
Unlawful invasion of privacy didn't kill Tyler Clementi. Homophobia killed him. I say this because I don't think we would have seen the same result if Tyler was having hetero sex broadcast on Facebook. If Tyler was having hetero sex broadcast on the net, there would have been high fives all around. Why don't we see the high fives for homo sex? Should there be any shame for being attracted to someone of your own sex?
I want to do whatever I can to remove social stigma for any possible combination of two consenting adults who want to make each other happy. Homophobia must be defeated. Don't ask don't tell must end. Tyler Clementi's death is a tragedy that will haunt me for a very long time.