Rutgers hosts community meeting to discuss Tyler Clementi tragedy, bullying problem

[JackBeck]

NEW BRUNSWICK — As he waited to take the stage at tonight’s town hall meeting in memory of Tyler Clementi, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg became emotional as he tried to express how the Rutgers University freshman’s suicide has affected the country.

"I almost feel like I’m in mourning for a friend — and it’s that way across the nation," the 86-year-old Lautenberg (D-N.J.) said, fighting back tears.

Nearly 450 people gathered tonight in the Rutgers Student Center in New Brunswick for a passion-filled event that was part political rally, part memorial and part confessional. For two hours, politicians called for new laws to protect young people from bullying and internet harassment.

Students and gay activists also took the stage to publicly confess how, when they were in their teens, they were physically abused and verbally taunted about their sexuality. Many said their pleas for help went ignored by teachers and parents, prompting some in the audience to shout, "Shame! Shame!" in sympathy for the students.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/10/rutgers_hosts_a_town_hall_meet.html

The main room was packed, with even more watching from a spill-over room. I guesstimated there were at least 500 in attendance.

The comedian, Judy Gold, a Rutgers graduate, got the crowd on their feet at the beginning of the evening when she excalimed, "I blame you, Rev. Eddie Long! I blame you, Rush Limbaugh! I blame you, Sara Palin!", to name a few. I hope someone got her speech on video. Judy even got heckled by someone in the audience, claiming she was being biased against Christians (she had nothing negative to say about religion), which prompted some in the crowd to react in Judy's defense . Steven Goldstein, being the diplomatic activist that he is, quelled the crowd by acknowledging that emotions were high, but Garden State Equality would prefer that this town meeting be a peaceful conversation, and not about shouting down anyone in the room.

(BTW...I think I spot another Rutgers grad, and fellow DUer in the picture above...)