Jaguars associate strength ach Kev Maxen out as gay a first for US-based pro leagu
Contents:
- JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH KEV MAXEN OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU
- GAY MAN BEATEN AND LEFT FOR DEAD; 2 ARE CHARGED
JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH KEV MAXEN OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU
* gay college student murdered *
Twenty years ago, Matthew Shepard was a "smart, funny" 21-year-old, no different than any other young man that age.He was an "ordary kid who wanted to make the world a better place," his parents remembered.But October 1998, that all changed, when the openly gay llege stunt was abducted, beaten and tied to a fence Wyomg.His 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 culture.In the two s that have passed, however, remas batable how far the untry has e sce the shock of that crime.A gome attackShepard, a stunt at the Universy of Wyomg Laramie, spent Oct. They later nfsed they had "veloped a roe which they'd pretend to be gay to w Matt's nfince," Marsn said."They uld offer him a ri home and rob him," he add.Matthew Shepard is seen this undated photo.Matthew Shepard FoundatnMcKney and Henrson kidnapped Shepard and told him he was beg robbed, Marsn said.(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.Shepard was found the next day, 18 hours later, by a passg cyclist.
Agast the gay muny until after he died.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."His goal was to work for the State Department to try to brg the same privileg and rights he thought he had Ameri to other untri," Dennis Shepard said.A few years before his ath, Matthew Shepard me out to his mother on the phone."He said, 'Mom I'm gay.' And I said, 'What took you so long to tell me?'" she relled.
"Rejectn was not ever an issue our fay."Their son was then livg an openly out life."Everybody he met, he said, 'Jt to let you know ahead of time, I'm gay,'" Dennis Shepard said."It was like, 'This is who I am, and that's the way 's gog to be,'" add Judy Shepard.Dennis Shepard wasn't worried about his son's safety."We didn't realize the amount of vlence and discrimatn ... Agast the gay muny until after he died," he said. He has all the rights, rponsibili, duti and privileg of every other Amerin cizen."The natn mournsThe shockg homophobic crime the sparsely-populated state garnered natnal sympathy.
GAY MAN BEATEN AND LEFT FOR DEAD; 2 ARE CHARGED
Capol wh celebri and members of Congrs.A ndlelight vigil is held for Sla gay Wyomg stunt Matthew Shepard, Oct. "It was a spontaneo outrage about the severy of this crime and the overall phenomenon of hate crim agast LGBT people, which were startg to get more social attentn around this time than they had received prev years."But wasn't all sympathy.Members of the Wtboro Baptist Church protted the funeral, picketg wh anti-gay signs.Rev.
Capol.Juana Arias/The Washgton Post/APTwo killers head to urtAfter McKney and Henrson were arrted, Henrson waived his pre-trial vtigatn and took a plea agreement, agreeg to two life sentenc.McKney went to trial, and fense attorneys argued his vlent actns were "gay panic" -- a reactn to Shepard makg a sexual advance."When the fense gets out there and starts talkg out of, the victim's flt, you know, 'gay panic,' ... That's jt absurd."The "gay panic" fense is still legal most stat but has been outlawed a few. Before sentencg, his attorneys, the Shepards and the prosecutors agreed to two nsecutive life sentenc exchange for takg the ath penalty off the table.McKney has cled to speak to ABC News while Henrson did not immediately rpond to a requt for ment.Change WashgtonShepard's murr shed a light on the spe of feral hate crime laws, which at the time did not clu sexual orientatn or genr inty.Two gay activists monstrate the streets of North Hollywood to prott agast the ath of Wyomg Universy stunt Mathew Shepard, Oct.
13, 1998.Hector Mata/AFP via Getty Imag FILEDemonstrators prott the hate killg of gay stunt Matthew Shepard, Oct. Matthew Shepard was tortured and murred 1998 and was targeted for beg gay, acrdg to wns. "Also several stat eher passed hate crime legislatn for the first time or ma their hate crime laws tougher."Beyond the feral hate crime law, the years sce Matthew Shepard's ath, among the most substantive legislative ws for the LGBTQ muny were the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell 2010, so gay ary members n serve openly whout fear of beg dismissed, and the legalizatn of same-sex marriage across the untry 2015.A shift Amerin cultureThe tragic murr also led to the creatn of the Matthew Shepard Foundatn, the missn of which "is replacg hate wh passn, unrstandg and acceptance," Judy Shepard said."The re of what we do is tryg to get dividual people exced about makg a difference," Marsn said of the foundatn.