The Time for Tolerance
Amid nationwide protests calling for racial justice and tolerance, the Tyler Clementi Center for Diversity Education and Bias Prevention recently marked the 10th anniversary of the death of Tyler Clementi, the first-year Rutgers student who took his life following a violation of his privacy, when his romantic encounter was streamed on the internet. Founded in his memory in 2013, the center invites scholars and practitioners to examine the impact of bias, peer aggression, and campus climate on college students who feel stigmatized because of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, nationality, faith, or ability. In September, the center hosted a virtual symposium, “Life After the Closet: Enduring Shame at the End of Privacy,” featuring comments from Clementi’s mother, Jane Clementi, and others. A Rutgers video recalled his life and university efforts, thanks in part to the center, to foster an inclusive campus atmosphere.