* This is a continuation of my last post about Matthew Shepard. If you haven't done so already, I highly recommend you read that one first.
This post mentions assault, homophobic actions and slurs, hate crimes, death, abuse, neglect, suicide, and murder. If you are triggered by any of these things, please read with caution.
Photo Credit: World Builder Blog
It's safe to assume that most people don't know a whole lot about Matthew Shepard. It seems like the majority of times I've brought that name up in conversation I get one of two responses:
"Who?"
(Usually this one)
(Usually this one)
or less frequently,
"Oh, that kid from The Laramie Project?"
(Which I will explain shortly.)
The saddest thing about Matt's story to me is that the knowledge that he was gay can change someone's entire perspective. Notice in my last post that I didn't mention Matt's sexuality until the last sentence. You probably felt sad reading about how young he was when he died and the positive comments from his peers. Maybe you felt a little sick to your stomach reading about the severity of his assault. Perhaps it even got you thinking about your own kids or friends and what it might be like to be in the shoes of the people who were close to Matt when he was killed. Who wouldn't be upset after hearing of such a tragic outcome for an innocent young man, right?
But for some, just one word can completely change their opinion on Matt's story.
According to the Children's Defense Fund on a daily basis in The United States an average of 4 children or teens are killed by parental abuse or neglect, 6 by suicide, 21 by accidents, and 48 by gunfire. How many of these funerals do you see bombarded by protesters? How many people show up to the funerals of these kids and teens with signs saying they belong in Hell? How many of these parents get told by strangers every day of their life that their kid deserved to be brutally murdered and left to die?
Matthew's story went on to be published into a bestselling book written by his mother titled "The Meaning of Matthew", captured in a documentary titled "Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine" which has since won 10 seperate film festival awards, be recreated in a TV movie, and turned into a play titled "The Laramie Project".
The Matthew Shepard Foundation was created in his honor, an organization whose self-described mission is to "embrace diversity" and "erase hate by replacing it with understanding, compassion, and acceptance." The foundation also started an online resource known as Matthew's Place where LGBTQA+ youth can go to find anything from a list of homeless shelters in their area to kind words from other LGBTQA+ youth and allies. In 2009, the foundation worked for the passing of the "Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act". Until the passing of the act, hate crime statistics did not include those for LGBTQA+ victims in which the reason for the hate crime was their sexual orientation or gender identity.
So, with all this information out there why is it that Matthew Shepard's name is still so widely unrecognized? Why is it that the only thing the people who do recognize him seem to know him from is The Laramie Project, and why many of those people don't even realize the story is not fictional? Why is it that in 49 out of 50 states, there is a perfectly legal Gay and Trans Panic Defense in which the culprit of a hate crime can be let free of charges because they were taken off guard by the news that a victim was gay or transgender?
Society has made some great advances in the way we perceive and treat people who are LGBTQA+, but that does not mean the issues are anywhere near over. Matthew's story may have built an albeit typically unrecognized legacy, but is certainly not the last of its kind. In my next post, I want to share some recent statistics on LGBTQA+ hate crimes, bullying, and the like.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But for some, just one word can completely change their opinion on Matt's story.
According to the Children's Defense Fund on a daily basis in The United States an average of 4 children or teens are killed by parental abuse or neglect, 6 by suicide, 21 by accidents, and 48 by gunfire. How many of these funerals do you see bombarded by protesters? How many people show up to the funerals of these kids and teens with signs saying they belong in Hell? How many of these parents get told by strangers every day of their life that their kid deserved to be brutally murdered and left to die?
Matthew's story went on to be published into a bestselling book written by his mother titled "The Meaning of Matthew", captured in a documentary titled "Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine" which has since won 10 seperate film festival awards, be recreated in a TV movie, and turned into a play titled "The Laramie Project".
The Matthew Shepard Foundation was created in his honor, an organization whose self-described mission is to "embrace diversity" and "erase hate by replacing it with understanding, compassion, and acceptance." The foundation also started an online resource known as Matthew's Place where LGBTQA+ youth can go to find anything from a list of homeless shelters in their area to kind words from other LGBTQA+ youth and allies. In 2009, the foundation worked for the passing of the "Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act". Until the passing of the act, hate crime statistics did not include those for LGBTQA+ victims in which the reason for the hate crime was their sexual orientation or gender identity.
So, with all this information out there why is it that Matthew Shepard's name is still so widely unrecognized? Why is it that the only thing the people who do recognize him seem to know him from is The Laramie Project, and why many of those people don't even realize the story is not fictional? Why is it that in 49 out of 50 states, there is a perfectly legal Gay and Trans Panic Defense in which the culprit of a hate crime can be let free of charges because they were taken off guard by the news that a victim was gay or transgender?
Society has made some great advances in the way we perceive and treat people who are LGBTQA+, but that does not mean the issues are anywhere near over. Matthew's story may have built an albeit typically unrecognized legacy, but is certainly not the last of its kind. In my next post, I want to share some recent statistics on LGBTQA+ hate crimes, bullying, and the like.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gay: Someone who identifies as male and is attracted to other males, or an umbrella term for anyone who is sexually attracted to their own sex.
Sexuality/Sexual Orientation: A person's sexual orientation, preference, or capacity for sexual feelings
LGBTQA+: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, asexual, plus
Gender Identity: A person's personal perception of their own gender
Transgender: Someone whose gender identity does not align with their biological sex
Sexuality/Sexual Orientation: A person's sexual orientation, preference, or capacity for sexual feelings
LGBTQA+: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, asexual, plus
Gender Identity: A person's personal perception of their own gender
Transgender: Someone whose gender identity does not align with their biological sex
No comments:
Post a Comment