Tyler Clementi's Family Wants Apology from NOM

Joe and Jane Clementi are joined by HRC, GLAAD, and Equality Matters.

Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.

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Neal Broverman

March 04 2013 3:53 PM EST

November 17 2015 5:28 AM EST

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A representative of the antigay National Organization for Marriage invoked the name of Tyler Clementi, a New Jersey college student who committed suicide after being outed by his roommate, and the young man's family is furious.

NOM's Jennifer Morse was speaking at Iowa State University a few weeks ago and implied that Clementi ended his life because he had to much access to other LGBT people.

"There are a lot of situations where people are doing something sexual that's probably not the best thing for them," he said. Morse used Clementi as an emample of LGBT youth who she claimed are, "...getting help and support from the gay activists who have their own thing that they're doing which is not necessarily to help the individuals but they've got some sort of political vision."

Clementi's parents, joined by GLAAD, HRC, and Equality Matters, are furious and demanding an apology.

"To exploit our late son's name to advance an anti-equality agenda is offensive and wrong," Joe and Jane Clementi wrote in a statement. "By doing so, [NOM] proves[s] that not only is there no low they will not sink to to advance their cruel agenda, but that neither they nor Ms. Morse have any grip on reality. The very idea that Tyler's tragedy happened because of too much support, instead of not enough, is ludicrous. Shame on them."