Dear President McCormick,

I was a Reader's Digest editor for 20 years, and a commissioner of education in Los Angeles Unified School District (1996-99), as well as being a long-time published author.

Rutgers will never (your words) "rise to the highest tier" among American universities unless it does the right thing about Tyler Clementi's suicide.

Your school must act decisively in this case. You must expel both Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei for invasion of privacy of fellow student Tyler Clementi. Their actions were a clear violation of campus code.

If Rutgers does not enforce its own rules, you are sending a message that student lawlessness can rule your campus, whether it relates to LGBT students or other matters. This lethal incident will become a black mark on your school's reputation, and a red alert to parents, who will be well-advised to send their children to schools, where their rights, safety and privacy will be protected by rules that are actually enforced.

Sincerely yours,
Patricia Nell Warren

***************************************

Email we sent to the President at Rutgers:

My husband and I are both alumni of Rutgers University (Law School and Social Work School.) And we have many gay and lesbian family members.

We understand that the Rutgers University Code of Student Conduct prohibits "making or attempting to make an audio or video recording of any person(s) on University premises in bathrooms, showers, bedrooms, or other premises where there is an expectation of privacy with respect to nudity and/or sexual activity, without the knowledge and consent of all participants subject to such recordings."

Campus Pride heads to Texas next week for the 22nd National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change hosted at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel in Dallas, Texas, Feb. 3 - 7, 2010. Since 1988, Creating Change has been the nation’s pre-eminent political, leadership and skills-building conference for the LGBT social justice movement. Every year, the conference moves across the country and brings a JOLT of activism and thousands of progressive minds together. The timing could not be better frankly (or -- for AT&T it could not be worse!)

So as I was packing my bags and reading the weather reports, I ran across this bit of NEWS from the Dallas Voice titled "Partner denied sick leave by AT&T" from Jan 28, 2010. I am REALLY hoping this is not true. But, if it is, I think it's time for thousands of LGBT and ally -- progressive queers -- to make a SWITCH!

Partner denied sick leave by ATT
By John Wright | News Editor [email protected]
Jan 28, 2010 - 7:14:06 PM
Despite 100% rating from HRC, company won’t allow gay man time off to care for ailing spouse

Bryan Dickenson, left, and Bill Sugg hold hands in Sugg’s room at a rehabilitation facility in Richardson on Wednesday, Jan. 27. (John Wright/Dallas Voice)

RICHARDSON — Bryan Dickenson and Bill Sugg have been together for 30 years. For the last 12 of those years, Dickenson has worked as a communications technician for Dallas-based AT&T.

I am constantly reminded when I visit colleges in the South how much work there is to be done. But I also forget how much change is happening across the nation -- even in the South.

Yesterday Campus Pride was at the University of Louisiana Lafayette. I delievered my program "What's Your Gay Point Average?" This was the first national program of its kind brought to campus -- over 200+ students attended -- not bad, huh? It was one of the many featured events during National Coming Out Month. Earlier in the day I spent time with several students and also did a workshop for the Resident Life Assistants. One of the things that I learned through the RA session is that 75% of the RAs had a family member who was LGBT and similarly 75% also had a "best friend" who was LGBT. Not surprisingly, all but a few had experienced or witnessed LGBT harassment in some form.

I share this because indeed LGBT youth are the future and change is happening. And even in the South, I find young adults who are impacted positively by "best friends" and family who are out as LGBT. This National Coming Out Day use your voice to come out to family and loved ones. Change is happening not because of politicians, athletes or celbrities coming out -- but rather our personal relationships with those we love.

Happy National Coming Out Day!

Congratulations to University of Louisiana Lafayette for a successful NCOM! Keep up your hard work! Plus, I enjoyed eating fried alligator and meeting all of you! Check out a photo from the swamp on campus -- GEAUX RAGIN CAJUNS!

“Good Morning, Baltimore.” I arrived yesterday in Baltimore, MD. And I had to make a Hairspray Musical reference at least once. I guess this is the official start to the Campus Pride Fall travel season. Woo Hoo!

Although I am not at a college, I am attending for our first time the National Association of College Admission Counselors Conference (NACAC) hosted this year in Baltimore, MD. The theme of the conference has something to do with “crabs” – so I took a picture of one of the volunteers. Poor thing. All I could think about was Mr. Crabby Patty from the cartoon Sponge Bob Square Pants. She was a good sport and let me take a photo. Thanks!

While this is not a LGBT conference, Campus Pride has invested time and money into doing outreach around our LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index (www.campusclimateindex.org). Our goal being at the conference is to make more colleges aware of the Index, our LGBT-friendly college fairs and how to best recruit openly LGBT students to their campus. Campus Pride submitted two workshops to the conference and presented one today, the other one will be tomorrow. The workshop today was in collaboration with our educational partner the Point Foundation (www.pointfoundation.org) --who is simply fabulous. Campus Pride loves working with Point Foundation. Todays workshop will hopefully be one of many more educational efforts we do together in the future.