Matthew Shepard was abducted, beaten and killed 20 years ago bee he was gay.
Contents:
- WHY XAVIER UNIVERSY IS STAGG PLAY ABOUT MAN MURRED BEE HE WAS GAY
- MATTHEW SHEPARD: THE LEGACY OF A GAY LLEGE STUNT 20 YEARS AFTER HIS BTAL MURR
- LAST CALL: BEHD THE TERRIFYG UNTOLD STORY OF NEW YORK'S GAY BAR KILLER
WHY XAVIER UNIVERSY IS STAGG PLAY ABOUT MAN MURRED BEE HE WAS GAY
The 1999 play The Laramie Project explor the te story surroundg the ath of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man who was beaten and left to die Laramie, Wyo., 1998. The se, which beme a landmark symbol for hate crim, still elics varied reactns — which is why on Oct. 12, hundreds of other theaters around the world will perform The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later, an Epilogue. * play about gay man murdered *
Almost stantly, Shepard's name beme a kd of grim rallyg cry for those drawg attentn to hate crim mted agast gays.
Mois Kfman, founr of the Tectonic Theater Project, wanted to wre an epilogue to The Laramie Project part bee of ntued bate over whether Shepard was killed bee he was gay, or for some other reason.
"When they ed gay panic as a fense, " she told Tectonic Theater, "I said 'This is good. Six years after the crime, the ABC newsmagaze 20/20 set out to bunk the ia that Shepard was murred bee he was gay.
MATTHEW SHEPARD: THE LEGACY OF A GAY LLEGE STUNT 20 YEARS AFTER HIS BTAL MURR
* play about gay man murdered *
"That's some kd of massive nial, " one openly gay Laramie rint tells Tectonic Theater. "Of urse had to do wh homophobia.
”It’s unlikely that a person wh ep-seated homophobia will see one of the shows and sudnly fd enlightenment. For that matter, ’s unlikely that people wh strong anti-gay beliefs will even e to see the plays.
Twenty years ago, Matthew Shepard was a "smart, funny" 21-year-old, no different than any other young man that was an "ordary kid who wanted to make the world a better place, " his parents October 1998, that all changed, when the openly gay llege stunt was abducted, beaten and tied to a fence life end a few days later, and wh me a wispread awarens of the dangers that members of the LGBTQ muny face every day. The homophobic btal killg also served as a talyst for progrs Ameri's laws and the two s that have passed, however, remas batable how far the untry has e sce the shock of that crime. They later nfsed they had "veloped a roe which they'd pretend to be gay to w Matt's nfince, " Marsn said.
LAST CALL: BEHD THE TERRIFYG UNTOLD STORY OF NEW YORK'S GAY BAR KILLER
The Matthew Shepard Story: Directed by Roger Spottiswoo. Wh Stockard Channg, Shane Meier, Wendy Crewson, Kristen Thomson. Openly gay llege stunt Matthew Shepard (Shane Meier) was murred an act of a hate crime wh a sensels vlence and such celty that attracted global attentn. His ath has changed the whole world forever." data-id="ma * play about gay man murdered *
(MORE: 'Gay panic' fense still ed vlence s may be banned by new feral bill)McKney h Shepard about 20 tim the head and face wh the end of the pistol, Marsn said, before the two stole Shepard's sho, got their tck and drove back to town. Agast the gay muny until after he grew up to bee very terted ternatnal human rights, particularly women's rights the Middle East and Asia, and he studied polil science, said Marsn. "He said, 'Mom I'm gay.
"Everybody he met, he said, 'Jt to let you know ahead of time, I'm gay, '" Dennis Shepard said. Agast the gay muny until after he died, " he said. "The natn mournsThe shockg homophobic crime the sparsely-populated state garnered natnal sympathy.
A ndlelight vigil is held for Sla gay Wyomg stunt Matthew Shepard, Oct.