Students wear purple for anti-bullying

Amanda KellyStaff Writer

Iona College has spirit. Taking part in the nationwide event Spirit Day, Iona students, faculty, and staff answered the call to “Wear Purple” on Oct. 20, to bring attention to the recent suicides of six teenagers who were victims of homophobic bullying.  

The tragic story of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi garnered nationwide media attention last month.  Clementi leapt to his death from the George Washington Bridge on Sept. 22 after his roommate recorded Clementi’s sexual encounter with another man and broadcasted it live on the internet. 

Regrettably, Clementi’s story is not unique.  Clementi’s death was one of five suicides by gay teenage boys –the youngest only 13 years old—in the U.S. over a span of three weeks that came as a result of bullying.

The Iona College Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) set up tables filled with purple balloons, flowers, pins, and ribbons in the Courtyard, the LaPenta Student Union, and the Spellman Portico to spread awareness of suicide, bullying, and homophobia.  Each table contained articles and pamphlets describing the recent suicides and offered ways for the Iona community to fight against bullying.

 “At the various tables [GSA] had set up across campus, there were many people who expressed a great deal of shock and sadness at the fact that all of the suicides were among adolescents,” GSA President Aaron Megibow said.  

Clementi’s suicide resonated with Iona students since Clementi was only a college freshman when he decided to take his own life.

 “While the recent string of suicides has received a great deal of attention from the media, the suicide rate in the LBGT [lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender] community has been extremely high for decades,” Megibow said.

 The suicide rate for LBGT youths is four times greater than that of their heterosexual peers and usually the suicides are preempted by homophobic harassment.

The Iona community’s support of the cause and devotion to end any additional tragedy was apparent on campus.  “I was seeing purple everywhere,” Megibow said, explaining the success of the event. “We ran out of buttons within the first hour of opening, and an hour and a half before each table was supposed to close we had virtually no ribbons left,” he said.

Iona’s dedication to the prevention of bullying on Spirit Day was inspiring, but the fire of commitment exhibited by the community on Oct. 20 should never be extinguished.  

“The student body and the administration need to continue to show their overwhelming support for various events as well as for the Respect Campaign, which stand up against bullying,” Megibow said.  Iona has many resources for those who feel like victims of bullying.  One of these resources is “a very well-equipped Counseling Center that is approachable, effective, and confidential,” Megibow said.

Bullying, although prevalent towards LBGT youths, is not restricted to members of the gay community.  Taunting and harassment amongst teenagers is a grave epidemic in the U.S. and the nation cannot afford to lose precious young lives. 

Organizations like The Trevor Project and the “It Gets Better” campaign offer the same comfort and love to LGBT youths as Iona offered on Spirit Day.   The hate expressed through bullying is loud, but the love we show towards others is louder.