Fifteen years after Matthew Shepard was tied to a fence and fatally beaten after leavg a bar Wyomg, a new book claims the gay teenager was murred for “reasons far more plited” than beg homosexual.
Contents:
- THE TTH BEHD AMERI’S MOST FAMO GAY-HATE MURR
- MATTHEW SHEPARD NOT MURRED FOR BEG GAY, NEW BOOK CLAIMS
- IT’S STILL DANGERO TO BE GAY WYOMG
THE TTH BEHD AMERI’S MOST FAMO GAY-HATE MURR
Nearly 25 years ago, the btal murr of Matthew Shepard -- a gay llege stunt Wyomg who was beaten, tied to a fence and left to die -- shocked Ameri. Today, the small cy of Laramie -- the scene of the famo hate crime -- has bee an improbable refuge for sexual mori the u... * wyoming gay murder *
Nearly 25 years ago, the btal murr of Matthew Shepard -- a gay llege stunt Wyomg who was beaten, tied to a fence and left to die -- shocked Ameri. 'Support system'Shepard's killg served as a wake-up ll, shg a ld light on homophobic vlence 2009, a feral law named for Shepard went to effect, expandg existg hate crim legislatn to clu crim motivated by a victim's genr or sexual Laramie, people did not want to wa around for change. "We're right back where we started, sentially, the muny, " Judy Shepard says, slammg what she lls the "terrible attu of ignorance and hate directed at the gay muny, as is beg directed at all the margalized muni " across the sce 1998 and Matthew's ath, Judy Shepard says the muny is anized.
6, 1998, Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old Universy of Wyomg stunt who was openly gay, went alone to the Firi Lounge Laramie after a meetg of the mp LGBT (Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenr) stunt group and a quick stop at the Village Inn. Shortly after midnight, Shepard left the bar wh McKney and Henrson; police and prosecutors would assert that the two men lured Shepard, perhaps unr the pretense of themselv beg gay, but fact wh the tent of robbg him.
In his police nfsn, McKney repeatedly scribed Shepard as “a queer, ” “the gay, ” and “fag. By McKney’s own nfsn, rroborated most tails by Henrson, McKney told Shepard that the two men were not gay and that he was gog to be robbed. Ed Andriki, The Associated their 36 hours of preparatn and travel, the story of the attack spread om lol to regnal to natnal media, unrsred by the reports om several of Shepard’s iends that he was gay and their fears that he had fallen victim to an anti-gay hate crime.
MATTHEW SHEPARD NOT MURRED FOR BEG GAY, NEW BOOK CLAIMS
Universy of Wyomg stunt Matthew Shepard, who was openly gay, was btally beaten October 1998 by Aaron McKney and Rsell Henrson. Shepard died several days later. The cint received ternatnal media verage and ntu to spark ntroversy about hate crim. Shepard’s parents, Judy and Dennis, tablished a foundatn Matthew’s name, which ntu s pro-LGBT tnal work today. * wyoming gay murder *
After his effort to mount a “gay panic fense” was led out by Judge Barton Voight, McKney’s unsel, prosecutor Cal Recha and the Shepards agreed to a siar plea barga for nsecutive life sentenc and McKney’s agreement not to speak to the media about the se, a provisn he would repeatedly vlate later years. Wyomg legislators 1999 nsired a state-level hate crime bill that extend to anti-gay and -lbian crimal motivatns, but the measure failed the state Hoe on a 30-30 tie on two nsecutive days and has not sce been serly bated. “Gay Stunt Attacked Wyomg, ” Oct.
“Friends and Strangers Mourn Gay Stunt Wyomg, ” The New York Tim, Oct.
Losg Matt Shepard: Life and Polics the Aftermath of Anti-Gay Murr. The horrific killg of Matthew Shepard 1998 is wily seen as one of the worst anti-gay hate crim Amerin history.
IT’S STILL DANGERO TO BE GAY WYOMG
* wyoming gay murder *
They pistol whipped him wh a gun then tied him to a fence eezg ndns and set fire to him before leavg him to attack beme a e célèbre: precipated a natnal backlash agast hyper-macho culture and tac tolerance of homophobia. As a rult of Matthew’s ath, many good thgs have happened for the gay muny. Policians and celebri pledged support and fundg to bat anti-gay hate crime.