Hate Crimes.
Friday, 23 October 2009 // 13:03
Hate is a strong word but
I really really really don't like you
-Plain White T's,
Hate (I Really Don't Like You) *points to title*Matthew Shepard.
(December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998)
He
was a first-year political science major and the student representative for the Wyoming Environmental Council.
Until he got tortured and killed when he was 21.
The reason he was targeted?
He was gay.
You don't even need to be homosexual to think "That's just fucked up."
He was robbed, pistol whipped, tortured, tied to a fence in a remote, rural area, and left to die. He was only discovered 18 hours later and was already in a coma. The person who discovered him initially thought he was a scarecrow. It was reported that his face was fully covered in blood, except where his tears partially washed it off.
His injuries were so severe that the doctors couldn't operate on him. He never regained consciousness, remained on life support, and died less than a week later.
His two murderers, Henderson and McKinney, were not charged with a hate crime, as no Wyoming criminal statute provided for such a charge. They didn't even get death penalties, just life sentences.
And at his funeral, some stupid baptist church showed up with anti-gay signs.
Their leader, Fred Phelps even tried to gain city permits to build a monument
"of marble or granite 5 or 6 feet (1.8 m) in height on which will be a bronze plaque bearing Shepard's picture and the words: "MATTHEW SHEPARD, Entered Hell October 12, 1998, in Defiance of God's Warning: 'Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; it is abomination.' Leviticus 18:22."
He failed, of course. Good for him.
(Wait do I sound anti-God now? No offense to Christians)This incident, brought both national and international attention to the issue of hate crime legislation.
The Matthew Shepard Act, which would expand the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, has been passed on October 22, 2009.
That's more than 10 years since he died.
But at least it's finally being passed, once Obama signs it.
There's now a Matthew Shepard Foundation, three films -
The Laramie Project,
The Matthew Shepard Story, Anatomy of a Hate Crime and
Laramie Inside Out, lots of songs dedicated to/written for him, including the latest performance by pop singer Lady Gaga of John Lennon's song
Imagine while changing the lyrics with references to Matthew Shepard's murder.
Links:
Matthew Shepard - WikipediaMatthew Shepard Act - WikipediaMatthew Shepard Foundation - WikipediaCultural depictions of Matthew Shepard - Wikipedia
my first decent-ish post in, I don't know, months? have I even ever had a decent post before?
I really have no idea why I did such a long post about that. it probably just proves how screwed America is. they go overboard with the whole "it's a free country!" thing and it's still filled with homophobes.
if you're asking how I even found out about Matthew Shepard in the first place when he died when I was barely 1, apparently I was wiki-ing Lady Gaga yesterday morning. don't ask why, Lynn just somehow influenced me to think that wiki-ing random people is fun.
btw YongHui and FuYuan, that was why I was late yesterday. I lost track of time reading that thing. sorry.
I sound like I have my priorities all wrong don't I? damn.
and yeah I'm turning this post not-so-decent so I should stop now.
Hate Crimes.
Friday, 23 October 2009 // 13:03
Hate is a strong word but
I really really really don't like you
-Plain White T's,
Hate (I Really Don't Like You) *points to title*Matthew Shepard.
(December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998)
He
was a first-year political science major and the student representative for the Wyoming Environmental Council.
Until he got tortured and killed when he was 21.
The reason he was targeted?
He was gay.
You don't even need to be homosexual to think "That's just fucked up."
He was robbed, pistol whipped, tortured, tied to a fence in a remote, rural area, and left to die. He was only discovered 18 hours later and was already in a coma. The person who discovered him initially thought he was a scarecrow. It was reported that his face was fully covered in blood, except where his tears partially washed it off.
His injuries were so severe that the doctors couldn't operate on him. He never regained consciousness, remained on life support, and died less than a week later.
His two murderers, Henderson and McKinney, were not charged with a hate crime, as no Wyoming criminal statute provided for such a charge. They didn't even get death penalties, just life sentences.
And at his funeral, some stupid baptist church showed up with anti-gay signs.
Their leader, Fred Phelps even tried to gain city permits to build a monument
"of marble or granite 5 or 6 feet (1.8 m) in height on which will be a bronze plaque bearing Shepard's picture and the words: "MATTHEW SHEPARD, Entered Hell October 12, 1998, in Defiance of God's Warning: 'Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; it is abomination.' Leviticus 18:22."
He failed, of course. Good for him.
(Wait do I sound anti-God now? No offense to Christians)This incident, brought both national and international attention to the issue of hate crime legislation.
The Matthew Shepard Act, which would expand the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, has been passed on October 22, 2009.
That's more than 10 years since he died.
But at least it's finally being passed, once Obama signs it.
There's now a Matthew Shepard Foundation, three films -
The Laramie Project,
The Matthew Shepard Story, Anatomy of a Hate Crime and
Laramie Inside Out, lots of songs dedicated to/written for him, including the latest performance by pop singer Lady Gaga of John Lennon's song
Imagine while changing the lyrics with references to Matthew Shepard's murder.
Links:
Matthew Shepard - WikipediaMatthew Shepard Act - WikipediaMatthew Shepard Foundation - WikipediaCultural depictions of Matthew Shepard - Wikipedia
my first decent-ish post in, I don't know, months? have I even ever had a decent post before?
I really have no idea why I did such a long post about that. it probably just proves how screwed America is. they go overboard with the whole "it's a free country!" thing and it's still filled with homophobes.
if you're asking how I even found out about Matthew Shepard in the first place when he died when I was barely 1, apparently I was wiki-ing Lady Gaga yesterday morning. don't ask why, Lynn just somehow influenced me to think that wiki-ing random people is fun.
btw YongHui and FuYuan, that was why I was late yesterday. I lost track of time reading that thing. sorry.
I sound like I have my priorities all wrong don't I? damn.
and yeah I'm turning this post not-so-decent so I should stop now.
