Matthew Shepard: A Decade of Pain, A Call to Action
Guest Blogger: Melissa Pope, Director of Victim Services, Triangle Foundation
Ten years ago, the nation was stunned, shocked and horrified by the news that a young man, barely alive, was found tied to a fence in Laramie, Wyoming. We learned that this young man’s name was Matthew Shepard and that he had been beaten and left to die because he was gay. While the nation kept vigil, praying that Matthew would live, Matthew succumbed to his injuries and left this earth on October 12, 1998.
Having been actively involved with the social justice movement for several years, I was all too aware of the hatred that infests some in our society, spreading like a disease until the symptoms become fatal – for someone else. This infestation was painfully clear as the hate mongers stood outside the hospital praising the murder of Matthew as a testament to God. I remember tearfully asking my mother what was different now as compared to when lynchings were a part of American life. She replied with prophetic words, “Now, at least, we find it appalling.”
And so this became the quest of so many people and organizations – to make sure that we all found such heinous violence appalling and to oppose it with a message of tolerance. We have seen the formation of the Matthew Shepard Foundation which, through its work, has touched thousands of lives, spreading the message to erase hate. We have seen increased efforts by well-established organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center which itself has been the victim of a bombing motivated by hate. And there are statewide organizations, like Triangle Foundation, that provide direct services to victims of anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender violence while working to change laws to protect all of America’s citizens. It is through my work at Triangle Foundation that my heart becomes the heaviest as I search for progress in the decade that has followed Matthew’s murder.
Despite the outrage expressed over and over again regarding Matthew’s murder, we have yet to see The Matthew Shepard Act signed into law. Most in America do not realize that it still is not a hate crime to brutalize a person because they are gay. In Michigan, we have yet to see the Ethnic Intimidation Act amended to include crimes motivated by bias against the gay community. We continue to see individuals attacked throughout the country because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Equally disturbing is the use of the gay panic defense. Put simply, the gay panic defense argues that the accused was so revolted by a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity that they were provoked to violence. This defense is often successful in that assailants are convicted of lesser offenses and receive lighter sentences. These cases are happening all over the country, including here in Michigan. On July 29, 2007, Steven Scarborough beat 62 year-old Victor Manious, placed him in the trunk of his car and left him to die. At trial, Scarborough used the gay panic defense. The fact that the jury found that an alleged sexual advance justified the beating to death of a 62-year-old man by a 21-year old man demonstrates how deeply rooted homophobia is in our American society.
Ten years later, we have yet to pronounce that hate is not an American value. It is far past time to build the foundation for tolerance in America. We must pass hate crime legislation that includes violence against another because of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. Without the demand that tolerance and acceptance are American values, we will continue to see lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans brutalized. As we remember the murder of Matthew Shepard as well as many others who have been victims of hate, let us make a commitment to banish intolerance and embrace inclusivity so that we may live as a society of humanity where all people are truly created equal and valued as such. Let us come to a time when such violence is not only appalling, but absent from our society.
Having been actively involved with the social justice movement for several years, I was all too aware of the hatred that infests some in our society, spreading like a disease until the symptoms become fatal – for someone else. This infestation was painfully clear as the hate mongers stood outside the hospital praising the murder of Matthew as a testament to God. I remember tearfully asking my mother what was different now as compared to when lynchings were a part of American life. She replied with prophetic words, “Now, at least, we find it appalling.”
And so this became the quest of so many people and organizations – to make sure that we all found such heinous violence appalling and to oppose it with a message of tolerance. We have seen the formation of the Matthew Shepard Foundation which, through its work, has touched thousands of lives, spreading the message to erase hate. We have seen increased efforts by well-established organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center which itself has been the victim of a bombing motivated by hate. And there are statewide organizations, like Triangle Foundation, that provide direct services to victims of anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender violence while working to change laws to protect all of America’s citizens. It is through my work at Triangle Foundation that my heart becomes the heaviest as I search for progress in the decade that has followed Matthew’s murder.
Despite the outrage expressed over and over again regarding Matthew’s murder, we have yet to see The Matthew Shepard Act signed into law. Most in America do not realize that it still is not a hate crime to brutalize a person because they are gay. In Michigan, we have yet to see the Ethnic Intimidation Act amended to include crimes motivated by bias against the gay community. We continue to see individuals attacked throughout the country because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Equally disturbing is the use of the gay panic defense. Put simply, the gay panic defense argues that the accused was so revolted by a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity that they were provoked to violence. This defense is often successful in that assailants are convicted of lesser offenses and receive lighter sentences. These cases are happening all over the country, including here in Michigan. On July 29, 2007, Steven Scarborough beat 62 year-old Victor Manious, placed him in the trunk of his car and left him to die. At trial, Scarborough used the gay panic defense. The fact that the jury found that an alleged sexual advance justified the beating to death of a 62-year-old man by a 21-year old man demonstrates how deeply rooted homophobia is in our American society.
Ten years later, we have yet to pronounce that hate is not an American value. It is far past time to build the foundation for tolerance in America. We must pass hate crime legislation that includes violence against another because of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. Without the demand that tolerance and acceptance are American values, we will continue to see lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans brutalized. As we remember the murder of Matthew Shepard as well as many others who have been victims of hate, let us make a commitment to banish intolerance and embrace inclusivity so that we may live as a society of humanity where all people are truly created equal and valued as such. Let us come to a time when such violence is not only appalling, but absent from our society.
posted by Colette Beighley at
11:42 AM
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