Through the Looking Glass: We remember Matthew Shepard

Nine years after his death, his “Erase Hate’ message lives on

By Sarah Delia, senior writer
Posted on October 8, 2007

On Oct. 6, 1998, Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old student at the University of Wyoming and resident of the city of Laramie, was offered a ride home from a local bar by two fellow Laramie residents. What Shepard thought was a kind gesture by two young men resulted in his brutal murder.

The locals, Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinny, drove Shepard to a desolate field in Laramie and proceeded to tie him to a fence to prevent him from escaping while he was beaten over the head and pistol-whipped.

Before the two left Shepard for dead, they made sure to rob him and leave him in a coma which he would never wake up from. Shepard passed away after a week of hospitalization and pain.

The reason for this beating? Shepard was an openly gay individual and in the eyes of McKinny and Henderson, living a lifestyle as a gay person qualified as an act that could not go unpunished.

This Friday marks the nine-year anniversary of Shepard’s merciless and unnecessary death. Although it is a time to mourn the loss of a son, brother and friend, it is also an opportunity to celebrate Shepard’s life, and the changes that are occurring around the world because of the impact he had.

On Sept. 27, 2007, Judy and Dennis Shepard received some closure to their son’s death when the Matthew Shepard Act, formerly referred to as the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, was passed in the Senate. The act, paired with Defense Authorization bill, will not be made official until President Bush chooses to either pass or veto it.

According to the official Matthew Shepard Web site MatthewShepard.org, run by Judy Shepard, the act reinforces hate crime laws in three new ways. First, it allows law officials to investigate and prosecute on behalf of victims that endure abuse based on “perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability” (the former law was specified regarding race discrimination only). Next, the act protects victims of “bias-motivated crime” in any location or time (the current law  protects those who are engaged in “protected activities” like attending school, voting or serving on a jury). Finally, it adds “gender” and “gender identity” to the Hate Crimes Statistics Act.

According to Westboro Baptist Church leader Red Phelps’ Web site, Matthew Shepard will have been in hell for 3,288 days this Friday. Phelps attempted to protest funerals of Virginia Tech students, frequently protests funerals of American soldiers, and even protests outside of locations where Judy Shepard lectures. 

Judy and Dennis Shepard lost not only their first-born son but their hero, as his father stated during the trails against Matthew’s murderers.

Looking around JMU, it may be hard to imagine that hate crimes are still a part of our society — especially on a college campus. Whether we engage in physical or emotional abuse — from an “innocent” joke to actual punches, we are still allowing hateful behavior to be socially acceptable.

I personally think “The Laramie Project,” a documentary scripted from real interviews conducted during McKinny’s and Henderson’s trials puts it best: “You think violence is what they did to Matthew? But every time you call someone a fag or a dyke, do you realize that that’s violence? That is the seed of violence.”

Next time you have the urge to use the word “gay,” as a synonym for stupid or idiotic, think twice about the impact the constant misuse of a word can have.

Sarah Delia is a junior English and art history major.