Died on this day in 1998 at the age of 21 from injuries sustained in a gay bashing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard. In related news, The House passed an expansion to the hate crimes bill on Thursday, adding federal protection for violent hate crimes based on a person’s sexual orientation, which would include members of the LGBT community. The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes bill, in a vote of 281 to 146, was largely passed along party lines with most House Republicans strongly opposing the broadening of the hate crimes definition to include gay Americans, referring to the bill, as advancing a radical social agenda.
This life. This man. How chilling to know that this life was tortured and died for something as stupid as an ignorant person's feeling towards sexual preference. I am disgusted at this event, and sad for every person who has been wronged because they were GLBT.
ReplyDeleteshameful.
God rest your soul, dear Matthew. We will never forget you.