Matthew+Shepard

Samantha Blumenthal ** Matthew Shepard ** Matthew Shepard was born on December 1st, 1976 to Judy and Dennis Shepard in Casper, Wyoming. Matt was a student studying political science, foreign relations, and languages in Laramie, Wyoming when he was murdered. As a student at the University of Wyoming, Matthew was very open about his sexual orientation (Dunn, 2010).

On the night of October 7, 1998, two men named Aaron McKinnley and Russell Henderson took Matt to a remote area east of Laramie, Wyoming where he was tied to a split-rail fence, severely assaulted, and beaten to death (Dunn, 2010). Matthew was left in the cold for almost eighteen hours and was found the next morning by a biker while he was still hanging from the fence with his hands tied behind his back (Dunn, 2010). Matt stayed in a coma for five days and died on October 12th at 12:53 a.m. at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Both of Matthew Shepard’s killers were given life sentences in Wyoming as Shepard’s parents opposed the death penalty for these two individuals. During the trial of his murder, it was said that Matthew was targeted and murdered because of his sexual orientation. This story earned national attention when his murder was characterized as a hate crime. Matthew Shepard became an international symbol of homophobic hate (Renna, 2008).

**Reaction to the Murder** //The Laramie Project// was created in response to the hate crime against Matthew Shepard. //The Laramie Project// is a theatrical performance which recreates the sympathies, sentiments, and scars Matthew Shepard’s murder had not just on Laramie, but on the United States of America as well (Esther, 2010). This play presents general issues of homosexuality. It also incorporates testimonies from Matthew Shepard’s murder trial highlighting the brutality and ruthlessness of his murder. Furthermore, this play challenges the overarching cultural narrative that has represented homosexuality (Lippert, 2010). The goal of this performance is to raise awareness about homosexuality and present the high number of hate crimes occurring against homosexual individuals. Additionally, this performance is intended to encourage more open discussion about sexual orientation to help end homophobia in America. This project, which has been re-produced over 5,000 times, strives to encourage dialogue and increase visibility and acceptance of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered students (Mulvey & Mandell, 2007). More realistically, //The Laramie Projec//t inspires to promote tolerance by presenting the lives and concerns of the homosexual community.

To promote tolerance and end homophobia requires changes in the way people communicate and perceive sexual orientation. Without open discussion, it would be difficult to see changes in people’s beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes towards homosexuality. After Matthew Shepard’s death, issues regarding homophobia and sexual orientation were finally brought into the open. People began to realize the need for our country to discuss this topic and take action to prevent these hate crimes from occurring.

As a response to Matthew Shepard’s murder, issues with the current hate crime legislation within the United States were finally addressed. Groups from the homosexual community had been fighting for years since Shepard’s death for a bill to increase protection against those being targeted because of their sexual orientation. Judy Shepard, Matthew’s mother, testified before Congress for LGBT rights and for the passage of the Matthew Shepard Act (Renna, 2008). After what happened to her son, Judy Shepard fought hard for this change in legislation as she knew this was a major problem within our country.
 * New Legislation **

Finally, the Matthew Shepard Act was passed on October 22, 2009 and signed into law by President Barack Obama on October 28th, 2009. The purpose of this new legislation added federal protection against crimes based on gender, disability, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Overall, Matthew’s death prompted this change in legislation in hopes to decrease the number of people being physically harmed and targeted everyday based on their sexual identity.

There is no concrete evidence that proves Matthew Shepard was murdered because he was gay. However, based on testimonies in court and the overwhelming amount of media attention his death received, Matthew’s murder was framed and viewed as a hate crime against his sexual orientation. Although these types of hate crimes occur everyday, Matthew Shepard’s death stood out for some reason. “It seems to me that Matthew was the archetypal “golden boy,” someone the media – and our community – saw as non-threatening, indeed vulnerable, attractive but not overly sexualized (Renna, 2008). According to Matthew’s parents, his death was often mythologized in the media and misinformation was flowing around about him (Renna, 2008). However, according to his mother, Matthew’s death most importantly brought fourth educational opportunities for safety and equality (Renna, 2008).
 * Media Coverage **

His murder not only paved the way to new legislation, but Matthew’s death raised national attention and awareness regarding hate crimes against homosexuals in America. His murder launched the nation into a dialogue that brought to the surface how we are thinking and talking about homosexuality, sexual politics, education, class violence, privileges and rights, and the difference between tolerance and acceptance (Lippert, 2010).

The brutality of Matthew’s death portrayed within the media shows the struggles homosexuals experience and deal with everyday. Furthermore, the publication and media coverage of Matthew Shepard highlights the stigma associated with homosexuality. Homosexuals experience social rejection on a daily basis and this built up stigma may explain how homophobic attitudes have developed and what drives people to commit these types of hate crimes. With the overwhelming amount of media coverage on Matthew’s death, this allowed for people to start thinking about the importance of overcoming their homophobic attitudes and putting aside personal issues with sexual orientation to end the stigma and negative associations with homosexuality.

Overall, the media attention from Matthew Shepard’s death was an eye opener for many people to see how their communication, attitudes, and behaviors towards homosexual individuals may be severely damaging their lives.

** Sexual Orientation and Bullying ** In President Barack Obama’s 2009 speech enacting the Matthew Shepard Act, he said, “It's hard for any of us to imagine the mindset of someone who would kidnap a young man and beat him to death within an inch of his life, tie him to a fence, and leave him for dead”**.** Discovering where this type of mindset comes from is a complex issue. The root of homophobia and what drives a person to bully, harass, or physically harm another person based on their sexual orientation is not known. What drove these perpetrators of hate to murder Matthew Shephard because of his sexual orientation may correlate to a variety of factors. Media coverage and the subsequent legislation may provide some indication of motive. Lack of education about sexual orientation, inability to manage sexual identity, and not knowing how to deal with personal values or religious views when interacting with others may be some issues behind homophobia and what drives bullying behavior.

Within the last ten years, there have been more than 12,000 reported hate crimes based on sexual orientation alone (Obama, 2009). Matthew Shepard’s death and the thousands of other people targeted based on their sexual orientation is a major issue impacting people across the nation everyday.

**References**
 * Dunn, T. R. (2010). Remembering Matthew Shepard; Violence Identity, and Queer Counterpublic Memories. //Rhetoric & Public Affairs//, 13(4), 611-651. Retrieved from http://msupress.msu.edu/journals.php **

Esther, J. (2010). Look Back In Anger. //Lesbian News//, 35(11). Retrieved from http://www.thelnmag.com/

Green, Jessica. (2009, October 9). US House approves Matthew Shepard hate crime bill. //Pink News//. Retrieved from http://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/matthewshepard.jpg

Lippert, L. (2010). Life in the Memory of One Who No Longer Lives: The Laramie Project and the Politics of Performance. //ANQ//, 23(2), 86-95. doi:10.1080/08957691003712173

Mulvey, A., & Mandell, C. (2007). Using the Arts to Challenge Hate, Create Community: Laramie Lives in Lowell. //Journal of Gay & Lesbian Psychotherapy//, 11(3/4), 121. doi:10.1300/J236v11n0307

Obama, B. H. (2009). Remarks on the Enactment of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. //Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents//, 1-3. Retrieved from http://www.gpoaccess.gov/presdocs/index.html

Renna, C. (2008). Why the Shepard Murder Was Different. //Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide,// 15, 20-22. Retrieved from http://glreview.com