Gay Men's Chorus of L.A. Honors Ridgewood's Tyler Clementi Foundation

The Tyler Clementi Foundation was honored by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles recently with the 2015 Inspiration Award at the GMCLA Voice Awards.

The award is given to individuals who have transformed a difficult personal experience into a positive force of hope and change, Michelle Clunie from the show “Queer As Folk” said at the awards ceremony.

Clementi killed himself in 2010 by jumping off the George Washington Bridge after his Rutgers University roommate posted a encounter of Clementi and another man on the Internet.

Presenter George Takei said that Joe and Jane Clementi, and their foundation, has accomplished in the nearly five years since Clementi committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge in 2010 “deeply inspirational.”

“Somehow, as they struggled with personal grief, these individuals were able to turn their attention to helping other young people, like Tyler,” Takei said.

The Clementis posted a statement on the foundation’s website: ”Thank you for giving us a voice and platform on the west coast to share Tyler’s story and help heal the pain of bullying known by too many.

“Thank you so much to George, Michelle, Steven, Justin and Sierra for your friendship and support. We are so grateful and humbled.”

The foundation rolled out a new campaign this month called Day 1.

“What we’re trying to do is end online and offline bullying - in schools, workplaces, and faith communities,” said Sean Kosofsky, head of the foundation.

Day 1 encourages people to stand up on their first day or work, school, or any new social situation and promise to not treat anybody differently because of who they love, how they dress, or what their body looks like.