Ten years ago, on October 12, 1998 a twenty one-year-old University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard died after several days in a coma following a brutal attack.    An investigation was launched, arrests were made and it was revealed that the motivation for murder was Shepard’s homosexuality.  There was, of course, more to it than that.  There were other factors-- class, personality, opportunity, anger, and intoxication—but in the final analysis Matthew Shepard was killed primarily because he was gay.  His murder is classified as a hate crime, the ultimate violation of another person’s civil and human right. 

It was a shocking case.  The powerful image of a fragile young man tied to a fence in the freezing night found their way into the collective psyche, entered popular iconography like a modern day variation on a Saint’s suffering.  As with the 1993 death of transman Brandon Teena, Shepard’s death made a tremendous impact as far as making people aware of violence against gays, lesbians and trans-persons.   Unfortunately there have been many shocking cases since. 

To name just one, on earlier this year 15-year-old Eight grader Lawrence King was shot and killed in Oxnard, CA after he confused his feelings to a male classmate. 

This tragedy was widely publicized but there are many other that have received less attention.    

I recently read on Questioning Transphobia: 

“Trans people are 16 times more likely to be murdered than the general population, and 1-2 trans people are murdered every month. So far, the TDOR (Transgender day of Rememberance) website lists 18 names:

Kellie Telesford, Brian McGlothlin, Gabriela Alejandra Albornoz, Patrick Murphy, Adolphus Simmons, Phaedra, Ashley Sweeney, Sanesha Stewart, Lawrence King, Simmie Williams Jr., Luna, Lloyd Nixon, Felicia Melton-Smyth, Silvana Berisha, Ebony Whitaker, Rosa Pazos, Angie Zapata, and Jaylynn L. Namauu.

Names not yet added to the list include Ruby Molina and Nikki Williams.”

Ten years after Matthew Shepard’s death hate crime and tragedy continues.  Gay, straight, bi, inter, trans, cis, or other we all need to make ourselves aware of this reality.  Just as there are people who say that sexism and racism do not exist there are people who say that people of all sexual orientations are fully accepted and should just chill out.  Unfortunately, we haven’t reached that place yet and it’s still necessary to advocate for right of GLBT persons including the right to exist.  

If anyone is interested, I’ve uploaded an MP3 compilation I found of songs about and inspired by Matthew Shepard.  It’s a RAR file located at the link (change xx to tt): hxxp://www.mediafire.com/?mnmtlj1e2oo

Tracklisting
1.      Melissa Etheridge- Scarecrow
2.      Elton John- American Triangle
3.      Cyndi Laupter- Above The Clouds
4.      Randi Drisoll- What Matters
5.      The Ship Will Sink- Dear Matthew
6.      Good Riddance- Cheyenne
7.      Thursday- M. Shepard
8.      The Suicide File- Laramie
9.      Protest the Hero- Fear and Loathing in Laramie
10.  Trivium- And Sadness Will Sear
11.  Sage Francis- That Ain’t Right
12.  Peter, Paul and Mary- Jesus Is on the Wire
13.  Jessica Weiser- After the Rain
14.  Tori Amos- Merman
15.  Amy Ray- Laramie
Bonus track: Chumbawamba- Homophobia