20 years have passed: Matthew Shepard

[Behind the Aegis]

20 years ago, Matthew Shepard was murdered: A letter from Laramie, 1998

The Crucifixion of Matthew Shepard

20 years later: How Matthew Shepard became America's window into hate

It took 18 hours.

After Matthew Shepard’s killers drove him to a quiet development on the eastern edge of Laramie, Wyoming, repeatedly struck him with a .357 Magnum pistol, robbed him and left him to die, it took 18 hours for someone to find him.

Details from that Oct. 7, 1998, discovery would sear themselves into memories across the globe.

How at first a mountain biker, Aaron Kreifels, thought Matthew’s limp, battered form was a scarecrow — until he noticed tufts of his hair.

How Matthew’s head and torso were so caked in dried blood that every inch was covered except for two strips under his eyes — tracks left by his tears.

...more at above link

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

[ProudLib72]

2. I haven't forgotten

Every time I drive north of Denver, I think about how close I am to where it happened. I'm loathe to venture into Wyoming because I haven't forgiven them. Thinking about it still makes me pissed and sad and scared all at once.

[lunasun]

3. K&R

[peacebuzzard]

4. crucified.....

[dsc]

5. On the 12th is the first meeting of the GSA at my new school

it took months for the student who wanted this to happen to finally get approval. Then a hurricane delayed all of our clubs until next week. One one level it will be kind of fitting that the first meeting will fall on that day. I live in an area that has a long way to go in terms of LGBT rights. Our transgender student is being forced to use a separate bathroom, the GSA couldn't use gay in the name (we chose Pride Alliance instead). Heck it took 11 years for hate crime laws to protect us after his death. It is hard to believe it has been 20 years.

[Behind the Aegis]

24. It is sad that your club is still facing such discrimination.

Of course, it is almost as sad how many people "remind" us how "fast" we gained our rights, though several states still legally discriminated against us.

[dsc]

26. This is in a school where the FCA had announcements by the principal for

a nighttime religious service. I am on our school improvement team and have been out to the faculty so I make issues hard to ignore but even I didn't know that the transgender student wasn't using student bathrooms until just a week or so ago when I found out by chance. My principal is very religious as are many of the teachers so there will be push back but I am a math teacher in a district and state that is bleeding them so I have more than a little leeway.

[trickyguy]

6. Matthew's tragic death was another wake-up-call that gay men must always be cautious of men

who pretend to be our friends. We too, are often enough, the victims of assault simply for
the perceived criminal act of being who we are. R.I.P. Matthew you are not forgotten.

[thegoose]

7. Think what will happen to the LGBTQ community

With all of these pieces of shit in office and their worthless headbashers out in the street waiting for Dump to order "queers" to be corrected. It'll fucking happen.

[Blue_true]

10. Yet Peter Thiel and Kaitlyn Jenner enthusiastically supported Trump.

The violence and degradation of Sheppard's death meant nothing to them and log cabin republicans.

[thegoose]

11. They're not the regular community

They're prestigious, rich and have bodyguards.

[Blue_true]

12. But like Sarandon.

They influence a lot of people that wish to be like them. One of the unfortunate realities of life is that we are not born with wisdom, that comes with age and experience. A 19 year old gay man listening to Thiel may be impressed to vote against both his financial and personal security interests.

[thegoose]

13. Maybe like two

You don't know the community, pal.

[Blue_true]

16. You are likely right. I am straight, so my view is an outsider view. nt

[thegoose]

17. Sincerely, thanks for your open-mindedness

We are really facing the possibility of being marched to concentration camps. Caitlin and the rest of those high-profile fucks aren't committing suicide or dying homeless on the streets. They're too rich and privileged — and protected. Trust me, we may want their comfort but not their phony Puke privilege.

October is the anniversary of the murder of Matthew Shepard, a young man who was brutally killed for being gay. He was strapped to a fence in Wyoming and his death was prolonged and horrible. I can see the Pukes marching homosexuals to death camps, laughing while that orange piece of shit has a fucking rally in some hillbilly state.

Dump and that piece of shit Kavanaugh will set us back to Stonewall. I hate them.

[Blue_true]

19. I remember Shepard's death and the circumstances.

It was shocking and caused me to wonder whether the country had gone mad. But in a way, his death so shocked the nation that the modern LQBTQ rights movement began.

We have to reign in Trump in November, then get rid of him and other republicans in 2020. If we do that, we preserve rights for everyone. Trumpers understand the stakes and they will be ready, we have to match and exceed their intensity at the polls.

[thegoose]

21. Truth to power!

This has to be done! The country is nowhere near reality, all brought about by a fucking carnival clown! Can you believe it?

[JI7]

18. they don't influence the lgbt community but they give right wing bigots cover

to spew their hate the way kanye west is doing .

[Blue_true]

20. It was pointed out to me that they had no influence in the LGBTQ community.

But you are right, they make league with haters and potential murders, and that is sad and disappointing.

[appalachiablue]

22. Sick, Thiel also thinks women shouldn't have got the vote in 1920.

K & R Thanks for posting this article, tragic loss of an innocent, important life and indictment of monsters around us.

[Behind the Aegis]

25. I am still concerned this year may be my last "legal" anniversary.

People are so concerned about Roe V. Wade being overturned, but I feel it would be Obergefell v. Hodges that would be axed first because it would be gay people losing their rights, so few would really raise a stink, and since it was passed under Obama's administration, it would be seen as another "win" for this misadministration's obsession with "undoing" anything associated with Obama.

[trickyguy]

8. One unusual situation is that I haven't heard rTump bashing LGBT people as I expected. However,

we should definitely take V.P. Mike Pence and his army of conversion therapy monsters as the enemy.
Can you imagine what he would be like if he was in charge? Then I would truly be afraid.

[H2O Man]

9. Recommended.

Thank you for this. I remember it all too well. It happened about the same time a racist hate group assaulted my nephew, and left him for dead. My nephew's crime" was being a brown-skinned high school scholar-athlete. The two crimes will always remain connected in my mind.

[leftstreet]

14. DURec

[Aristus]

15. Such a sweet, sad face...

It's still heartbreaking...

The West Wing aired an episode that mentioned an expy of Matthew Shepard named Lowell Lydell.

The Bartlet Administration passed an anti-discrimination law and asked his parents to be at the signing ceremony. The President's staff was hesitant because they thought Lydell's father might be conservative and homophobic. It turns out that the father had loved and was proud of his son, and was angry that the President's administration wasn't taking an even stronger stand in favor of gay rights.

[Hekate]

23. I will never forget.