I’ve been a bit out of the loop this week, so I just this morning saw Andy’s post about Shane Bitney Crone and the video about his boyfriend Tom Bridegroom’s death.

An untimely death of a young man is of course a lamentable situation, but this particular story touched me not only for the fact that Crone is using the tragedy to fight for equal rights, but also because I went to college with Tom Bridegroom.

He was one year under me and we became friends through his roommate, Anthony. Tommy was a unique, intriguing and sensational guy and watching Crone’s video celebrating him made me realize that Bridegroom’s death, so senseless and confusing at the time, was not in vain.

Crone recently sat down with the team from OutCast to discuss Tom and their relationship, including why they waited to marry, Tom’s family’s reaction to their relationship and how he’s dedicated to honoring his late boyfriend’s life. He also clarifies his motivations for making the initial video: “I did not make this video to attack his family … I hope that instead of getting angry about the video, they change.”

You can download the OutCast podcast at iTunes, and I hope you do.