Matthew
There are events that happen in the world that serve as wake up
calls, events that make you aware that the world can be an ugly, horrifying
place. The first such event in my life was the murder of Matthew Shepard. The
murder woke me up to a reality I knew nothing about -hate crimes. The murder
woke up the country, and the entire world.
*
Matthew Shepard was in the Fireside Bar in Laramie, Wyoming, on
the night of October 6, 1998; he was sat at the bar, sipping a beer. Also in
the bar were Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, seated in the back of the
bar. McKinney and Henderson noticed Matthew sitting at the bar; they
went up to Matthew and began a conversation with him. After chatting a bit,
McKinney and Henderson offered to give Matthew a ride home, which he accepted.
The three men then left the bar and piled into a truck.
The offer of a ride home was in actually a plot to ambush Matthew.
McKinney and Henderson targeted Matthew Shepard specifically. They wanted to
“teach him a lesson” for being gay. The attack upon Matthew began in the truck.
As Russell Henderson drove the truck, Aaron McKinney beat Matthew with a .357
magnum pistol in the back seat of the truck.
Henderson drove the truck down a lone country road, and turned off
into a desolate area, which came to a dead end at a buck fence. At this point,
all three men got out of the truck. The beating continued, and Matthew was tied
to the fence at his wrists.
Once bound, the killers continued to beat Matthew senseless with
the butt of the gun. He sustained several blows to the head, the last of which crushed his brain stem and partially tore off his right ear. McKinney and
Henderson then took off Matthew’s shoes, so he couldn’t run after them.
McKinney and Henderson then got back in their truck and drove away, leaving
Matthew Shepard for dead.
Matthew was found the next day, eighteen hours later, by a man
biking through the area. The man noticed a figure lying on the ground, near the
fence; as it was October, the man thought the figure was a scarecrow. The
closer he got to the fence, he suddenly saw hair. It was then that he realized
that the figure on the ground was actually a person. There lay Matthew, still
tied to the fence, in a coma, barely clinging to life.
The Sherriff’s office was called to the scene. The responding
officer, Reggie Fluty, noted the buck fence, a bush nearby, and a doe lying
near the bush. Here officer Fluty recounts the scene:
Officer Fluty cut the ropes that held Matthew to the fence. She
noted that Matthew’s entire face was bloody, except for where Matthew had cried
during the night.
Matthew was taken to Ivinson Memorial Hospital in Laramie,
Wyoming. One of the doctors on duty that night recounted the severity and
rarity of Matthew’s injuries. Injuries like Matthew’s are normally seen in
patients who have been in an 80 mile an hour car crash, not from a beating. As
Matthew’s injuries required a higher level of trauma care than Ivinson Memorial
could provide, he was flown to Poudre Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Matthew’s parents Dennis and Judy, who were working in Saudi
Arabia, were notified that their son was gravely ill, and they needed to get
the next flight to the U.S. They quickly flew home to Colorado to be with their
son. They had no idea that their son had been attacked; Matthew’s father Dennis
assumed that Matthew had been hurt in a car accident. This was no
accident. It was pre-meditated murder.
.
Once they arrived at the hospital, Matthew’s mother Judy said that
Matthew was unrecognizable.
The future of Matthew Shepard was unknown at that point. Would he
survive? Would he still be the Matthew his friends and family knew him to be?
*
I remember hearing about the attack on Matthew Shepard. Along with
the rest of the country, I was shocked to learn of the attack. I was horrified that this
act had been perpetrated on a fellow human being. I prayed for Matthew, and I
prayed for his family.
My thoughts also went out to my best friend at the time, a male
friend, who is gay. I will refer to this person as Miguel, to protect his true
identity.
I became worried for Miguel when I learned of the attack on
Matthew Shepard. The case ignited homophobia across the country, from churches,
businesses, politicians, and the public at large. For a time, there were many
attacks on gay men across the country. If you were gay, there was a target on
your back.
I remember going out to lunch with Miguel one day, after the news
of the attack had broken. It was a topic that was close in our minds. We were
in downtown Indianapolis, in a safe, LGBTQ friendly part of town, to eat lunch.
Miguel and
I found a parking spot on the busy street, and walked a few blocks
to the restaurant.
As we walked to the restaurant, I remember feeling nervous, yet I
did not know why. The further we walked, I realized why.
The environment at that time, that day, on that street, was
contentious at best. In that part of the city, which was known as the LGBTQ
mecca in Indianapolis, the atmosphere was saturated in tension.
Members of the LGBTQ community were engaged in shouting matches
with church members whose sole purpose for being there was to spread their
religious message of homophobia to the masses. We saw signs and heard messages
like these….
As we walked towards our destination, I grew increasingly afraid
for Miguel. People on both sides of the issue argued and yelled at one another
as if the loudest one yelling would win the argument.
In retrospect, Miguel and I should not have been there. Fist
fights broke out all around us. As a gay male, it was not safe for Miguel to be
there at that time. It felt like nowhere in the country was safe.
Unsure of what to do in such a combative atmosphere, I
instinctively grabbed Miguel’s hand. We walked down the street, pretending to
be boyfriend and girlfriend. To my surprise, it worked. We were left
alone. Nobody bothered Miguel. Everyone assumed we were a couple. Miguel was
safe.
The time that Miguel and I spent over lunch was strained. We knew
what awaited us when we left the restaurant. Miguel was afraid, and I was
scared for him. I assured Miguel that I was here for him, and that I would do
anything and everything in my power to keep him safe.
After lunch we left the restaurant and began the walk back to our
car, which was parked a few blocks away. While we’d had our lunch, the
hostility level on the street had risen exponentially.
Whenever he felt threatened or uncomfortable, Miguel took my hand.
I was glad to hold his hand, to keep him safe.
I understood that I was acting
as Miguel’s “beard”, a shield, a protection, to protect him from the onslaught
of hate that would have come his way had his sexual orientation been known or
revealed.
Looking back, I remember feeling bad for Miguel that day, feeling
such fear and hatred, having to deny who and what he was, even for the walk to
and from the restaurant. I also understood his need to protect himself. I was
glad to be there for him. I was relieved he was safe.
I cannot imagine what Miguel felt that day, to be met with such
hatred for something he cannot change. I cannot even begin to fathom what
Matthew Shepard felt that night as he was being beaten, pleading for his life.
*
As this was before the time of the 24 hour news cycle, people
around the country read newspapers, magazines, and the evening national news
reports to learn the latest on Matthew’s condition. There were candlelight
vigils across the country to pray for him.
Sadly, Matthew never regained consciousness. Matthew Wayne Shepard
died on October 12, 1998, six days after he was abducted. He was survived by
his father Dennis, mother Judy, and brother Logan.
Candlelight vigils were held across the country to honor Matthew’s
memory.
Two days after Matthew’s death, there was a vigil in Washington,
D.C. Many celebrities came to speak at the event. Ellen Degeneres, who had come
out the year before, made an impassioned speech at the vigil:
As for the murderers, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson are in
prison, serving two life terms.
After Matthew’s passing, news came out of Matthew’s survival of a
previous attack on his life, which happened years before. On a high school trip
to Morocco, during a night time stroll, he was followed back to his hotel by a
group of six men. The men pulled Matthew aside, robbed him, gang raped him, and
stole his shoes.
Twice in his life, Matthew was attacked and left for dead. Twice
in his life, the perpetrators of these crimes stole his shoes.
*
October 12, 2018 marks the twentieth anniversary of Matthew’s death. His attack and murder remains the most famous hate crime against a gay man in the United States.
After Matthew’s murder, people watched for a change in hate crime
laws in the United States. There were no changes to the federal hate crime laws
until in 2009, eleven years after the murder. It was then that President Barack
Obama passed the Matthew Shepard/James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act,
which adds specification of crimes motivated by gender, or sexual orientation.
Twenty years later, the United States is a very different country.
In 2015 the Supreme Court of the United States made same-sex marriage legal
across the country. While this was a landmark decision for the nation, there is
still a fight for fair employment and civil rights protections for the LGBTQ
community.
The LGBTQ community remains at risk of discrimination and acts of
violence. The Human Rights Campaign offers the following data:
“The CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey
found for LGB people:
*44 percent of lesbians and 61 percent of bisexual women
experience rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner,
compared to 35 percent of heterosexual women
*26 percent of gay men and 37 percent of bisexual men experience
rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner, compared to 29
percent of heterosexual men…
*The 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey found that 47% of transgender
people are sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime."
The LGBTQ community continues to see hate crimes perpetrated
against them:
*Last year was the deadliest on record for the LGBT community,
according to a new report from the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs
(NCAVP). Homicides resulting from anti-LGBT hate crimes saw an 86% spike, from
28 in 2016 to 52 in 2017)….
*Transgender women of color make up the largest sector of victims
of hate-based homicide. Last year saw at least 27 transgender Americans
murdered, with all but three were women of color. In addition, the homicide
rate for gay/bi cisgender men increased 500%, from four in 2016 to 20 in 2017.
In the years following Matthew Shepard’s murder, his parents,
Dennis and Judy Shepard, began the Matthew Shepard Foundation. At a Foundation
event, Judy remarked on the work of the foundation:
“The
reason that we do this work is because, not only
do we hope that what happened to Matt stops happening; it’s that
we want the two young men who did that to Matt to stop occurring as well.”
In her
recent article, Diane Anderson Minshall wrote about the importance of the
Matthew Shepard Foundation:
“Judy and
Dennis Shepard took their son’s tragedy and built a foundation to support queer
and trans kids, to move LGBTQ rights to the forefront, and to
make something good out of something so heartbreakingly tragic. In the
decades since, many other organizations have also become dedicated to making
sure our youth aren’t just surviving but thriving.”
*
It is said that art is a reflection of the culture and of humanity
itself. Several pieces of art have been created about Matthew Shepard.
Days after the murder in 1998, members of the Tectonic Theater
Company went to Laramie, Wyoming to interview the town about the murder. The
comments of the townspeople became a play, entitled: “The Laramie
Project.” Twenty years later, the play continues to be performed by
high schools and colleges throughout the country. In 2002, the play was turned
into a movie.
In 2012 a book, “October Mourning: A Song for Matthew
Shepard” came out. Written by Leslea Newman, it is a collection of
sixty eight poems about the murder. She was the keynote speaker for the
University of Wyoming for their Pride week, days after Matthew was killed.
“Using her poetic imagination, the author creates fictitious
monologues from various points of view, including the fence Matthew was tied
to, the stars that watched over him, the deer that kept him company, and
Matthew himself.”
In 2014, the film “Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine” made
its debut. Michele Josue, a documentary filmmaker, knew Matthew in high school.
Many of Matthew’s friends are featured in the film, as well as Matthew’s
parents Dennis and Judy. Many photos and videos from the Shepard family archive
are featured in the film. The movie is now streaming on Hulu.
In 2016, the oratorio “Considering Matthew Shepard” made
its debut. It was composed by Craig Hella Johnson, leader of the Conspirare
vocal group, who performed the oratorio. Leslea Norman’s book was used as a
source for the work.
“….a wildly diverse piece that does a lot more. It lifts you up,
throws you into the scene of the crime and messy aftermath, sends you into a
researcher’s sketch biography of Matthew’s life and finally steps back to
protest the injustice of the act but also to ask something more from the
society that allowed it to happen.”
I own both movies mentioned above, “The Laramie Project” and “Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine.” I watch them every October, to remember Matthew, to contemplate what his horrific death has taught us as a people, to remind the world to never forget his story.
*
The murder of Matthew Shepard has stuck with me. It opened my eyes
to the fact that the LGBTQ community does not have equal rights, and that
anyone in the LGBTQ community could be killed for being their authentic self.
Looking back on that time, twenty years ago, I cannot help but
think about that afternoon with Miguel. I am thankful that I got to know about
the murder of Matthew Shepard with Miguel. I saw things through the lens of his perspective, through
Miguel’s eyes. I learned about the hate and discrimination Miguel faces every
day for just being who he is.
I learned he is not alone. I learned about the depths of homophobia and hate. It was hate that killed Matthew Shepard. Hate in the form of homophobia.
I learned he is not alone. I learned about the depths of homophobia and hate. It was hate that killed Matthew Shepard. Hate in the form of homophobia.
In those days, I was completely green. I didn’t know that coming
out, divulging who you are and how you identify, could literally be a matter of
life and death.
For years I saw injustices towards the LGBTQ community, and yet I
did nothing about it. I felt it wasn’t my place because I am straight
(heterosexual.) I thought, “Yes, I have a gay friend, but I’m not gay.
It’s not my issue, it’s their issue.” But
I was wrong. Civil rights,
equal rights, are my issue. They are everyone’s issue.
Two years ago, I learned of my true sexual orientation,
demisexuality, which falls into the Q, or “queer” umbrella term of the LGBTQ
community. What I once saw as a concern for others now concerns me personally.
While I don’t exactly feel part of the LGBT club, I am a member of the LGBTQ
community. Where LGBTQ rights are threatened, my rights are threatened.
*
Dennis and Judy Shepard have never buried their son’s remains, for
fear that his burial site might be desecrated. Twenty years later, Matthew will finally be laid to rest at the National Cathedral in Washington, D. C. The
service will be held on Friday, October 26, 2018.
“A lot
has changed in the 20 years since Matthew was abducted, tied to a fence and
left to die…
A lot has changed, but not everything has changed. It felt really
important for us to say that we believe L.G.B.T.Q. people are beloved children
of God, not in spite of their identities
but because of who they are — who God
created them to be.”
-Mariann
Edgar Budde, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington
The murder of Matthew Shepard was a heinous crime that shocked the
world with its brutality. We cannot forget his murder. We cannot be blind to
the fact that murders of the LGBTQ community to continue to happen around the
world.
The murder of Matthew Shepard served as a wake-up call to millions
around the world. I pray we remain vigilant, and stay awake.
“For
those of us who knew him, Matt’s story will never grow old,
because
the pain of losing him is still fresh, like it happened yesterday-
and the
hate that killed him is still here today.”
-Michele
Josue
Matthew Wayne Shepard
1976-1998
Resources:
The Laramie Project movie, in its entirety:
Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine:
Considering Matthew Shepard:
Matthew Shepard Foundation:
Articles:
“He Continues to Make a Difference: Commemorating the Life of
Matthew Shepard”
Teaching Tolerance: “The Book of Matthew”:
"Matthew Shepard's Parents Made Sure He Did Not Die in Vain":
"20 Years Later: How Matthew Shepard's Murder Became America's Window Into Hate"
"Matthew Shepard's Children":
LGBTQ Advocacy Organizations:
Human Rights
Campaign: https://www.hrc.org/
PFLAG-Parents,
Families/Friends of Lesbians and Gays: https://www.pflag.org/
GLAAD-Gay and Lesbian
Alliance Against Defamation: https://www.glaad.org/
The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org
It Gets Better
Project: https://itgetsbetter.org/
National Center for
Transgender Equality: https://transequality.org/
ACLU-American Civil
Liberties Union: https://www.aclu.org/
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