Matthew Shepard - Died October 12 at 12:53am in Laramie, WY. He had gone to a popular campus bar Tuesday evening. There he met two men who convinced him they were also gay. After driving off in one of the murderers truck, Matthew was beaten and robbed, tied to a wooden fence in a rural area outside Laramie (shown above), and pistol whipped in the head and left for dead.
Police say robbery appeared to be a motive behind the attack but they also believe Shepard was also targeted because he is openly gay. He was found about 12 hours later by a bicyclist suffering from severe head injuries and hypothermia. The person who found him said he very nearly didn't because he looked like a scarecrow because of the position he was tied in. Matthew died three days later after the attack. His murderers have charges pending.
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| Lucy tells this story: My friend was attacked on a public bus in San Francisco. She is quite obviously lesbian, and they were hurling homophobic epithets at her as they broke her collarbone, dislocated her shoulder, and caused nasty bruises. The lawsuit is going slowly becaus there is "not enough evidence of a hate crime," regardless of the several witnesses that testified to the homophobic comments. I am very proud of my friend, not only for standing up for herself in court, but for keeping the attackers on the bus until the police could arrive. I am very happy to see this memorial, and I will continue to be an out and proud bisexual woman in what I thought of as a very tolerant city.
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Dana tells this story: Growing up in San Antonio Texas I had a lot of experiences with hate. I lost two jobs, one apartment, and was attacked on three different occasions. I am lucky someone did not kill me. I moved to San Francisco to escape (so I thought). Even in a so called mecca, I still experience hate for my life choices from people whos lives I have no affect on. Three years ago, a 23 year old man rammed his van into my motorcycle with my girlfriend on the back.
We are lucky we did not get killed. I still get called names, each time I pray that that is as far as it will go.
So far, I have been lucky.
Just how much luck do I have to have to stay alive?
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Rose tells this story: Like two years ago I was about eleven. And me and some friends snuck out and went riding with these 18 (asian) year old guys. We went out and while we were going to the store a black man walked up and pushed one of
them. And then they pushed back and they started a big fight. They started screaming "you fuckin nigga!! you don't belong here!!". And then one of the guys pulled out sorta like a bat or a club and hit him over the head with it. We left the man lying there infront of the store bleeding and unconsious. They never found out who did it though I later learned that the man's ex-girlfriend's boyfriend was blamed.
That was my story. Back then I was a little racist punk and hated everyone who wasn't exactly like me. But I've learned alot since then. |
Kim tells this story: i live in a very rural town in northern new york. here you are
expected to be straight, get married and have children. the first time i told my mom i thought i might be gay she went through the roof. she screamed and yelled at me that i wasn't going to do that under her roof. now she's more accepting. or ignoring it at any rate. another instance.
i was reading a book by Kate Clinton, a lesbian comedian. someone was interested in what i was reading. when they found out she was a lesbian they dropped it like the book had burned her. and another. i was living in a half-way house and talking to a staff member. they were talking about tom cruise and rumors that he was gay. the woman said she hoped not because she wouldn't want him wasted on another man. as if a man couldn't appreciate tom's looks as she could. so i have a hard time being open about being gay here where there seem to be so few lesbians and so many ignorant opinions and concepts of homosexuality because even little slights and comments hurt. |
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