Subscribe to Breaking NewsVanasco: From prosecution to prevention for hate crimes
There are five states in the U.S. without a hate crime law.
One of them is Wyoming.
Wyoming, where 10 years ago, Matthew Shepard was robbed, pistol-whipped, tortured, tied to a fence and left to die.
Wyoming.
Though it’s not like the other 45 states WITH hate crime laws are perfect. Only 32 of them cover sexual orientation. Only 11 cover gender identity.
Last month, the House passed a hate crimes bill by a wide margin – a bill which would protect gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders in all states, including ones like Wyoming that have no hate crime bills of their own. But the Senate is more complicated.
Currently, the sponsors of the bill are looking to attach it to a bill that is likely to sail through the Senate, because it is not strong enough to survive on its own. Hopefully, the President’s support – he said it would “enhance civil rights protections, while also protecting our freedom of speech and association” – will help facilitate this process.
But even if it does pass, it’s not enough.
Last night, at a discussion hosted by Turner’s employee affinity group, Matthew’s mother Judy Shepard expressed dismay and frustration that 10 years after his son’s death, little progress had been made.
“I never thought I’d still be doing this 10 years later,” she said, her voice quiet but firm.
She said that prosecution is only one piece of the puzzle – we also need to focus on prevention.
Prevention of violence means education. It means school anti-bullying laws. It means explaining to kids that saying “that’s so gay” is not a neutral term but a loaded one inspiring anxiety in gay and lesbian classmates. It means trying to eliminate the culture of hate where it grows – in families, in churches, in schools.
It is exactly this education piece that our opponents are worried about.
Anti-gay legislators – people like Rep. Virginia Foxx, who called Matthew Shepard’s death a “hoax” in front of his mother, before apologizing – are worried that we will educate people into understanding that gay, lesbian and transgender people are perfectly normal. They worry that their children and grandchildren will grow up in a world where no one shudders at the sight of two men holding hands, or two women pledging commitment to each other in white gowns.
They worry that it will be SO normal, that perhaps one of their daughters will kiss another girl and think nothing of it; perhaps one of their sons will fall in love with another man.
They worry that their values will no longer be the country’s values.
And they are right to worry, of course. The acceptance of gay rights IS generational. The younger you are, the more likely you are to be growing up with the idea that gay is A-OK.
Even so, we are far from a world – or a country- which practices non-violence toward our community. In the past week, here in Manhattan, four different people were attacked in what seem to be anti-gay crimes. Attacked in Chelsea, the center of the gay community, in one of the most liberal cities in the world.
We are not yet safe, no matter where we live.
Sharon Staple, executive director of New York’s Gay & Lesbian Anti Violence Project, says we will know we have our full civil rights when we can walk down any street in this country, in any city, holding our partner’s hand and not being afraid.
In New York or in Wyoming, that day still seems very far away.
What is wrong with these stupid people. Maybe if they would pull their head out of the ass they might be able to smell fresh air and THINK! All the studies that have studied homosexuality have strongly indicated that we ARE DIFFERENT. We are born homosexual. We do not have the option of “choice.” Does anyone with a mind think that we would choose to live a life of grief and humility by choice? How friggen stupid can they be!! I’ve talked to some of these people here at work. They have absolutely no interes in any kind of discourse. They have that evil, bigoted, vapor locked book, the blabbybible, plastered in their head (where the brain should be) and they will not listen to anything else. Of course they pick and choose the verses in that damn book that supports their own bigoted statements.
The only way we can scare hell out of them is to begin to tax ALL CHURCH PROPERTY – take their meeting places away!! Where in the US Constitution does it say that church property should not be taxed. Today religion is big business and should be treated as such.
Jennifer, excellent article. I couldn’t agree more. I have said more than once in posts here that if legislation were effective, racism would have ended decades ago. When the religious fanatical fringe no longer can use the legal system to bash our heads in, they will find other, more barbaric, weapons to use instead. The incident in New York proves you don’t even have to be gay to get beaten to death, they just have to jump to the conclusion you are gay. Judge, jury and executioner all in one with a speedy trial and sentence caried out immediately. American mob-mentality justice at its finest.
Wyoming prides itself on being a “EQUALITY” state. But they don’t mean Gays. Such cowardly hypocrites those people in Wyoming are.
Jennifer, very thoughtful article with one exception, where you wrote, “…Rep. Virginia Foxx, who called Matthew Shepard’s death a “hoax” in front of his mother, before apologizing.” Her “apology” was insincere and vindictive, and Mrs. Shepard did not accept it. I really feel for her as I do all of us here in the United States, trapped in a nation run by the ruthless in the name of the stupid.
This country’s promise of equality is a joke and so is its leader.
Crossing my fingers,toes and legs-please, please let this bill pass in the Senate. I’ve been worrying about this bill. Although I contacted my Senators, I’m not so sure if they even care.
For Divine’s sake pass this bill.
Here is the letter I sent to Obama today.
“It is a sad day for me. The gay population had high hopes. I know I did but after this last announcement that there will be no repeal of DADT my feelings for and about you are beginning to fade. You have the power to stop the discharges. You have the power to change history. What are you afraid of? You just lost a good man because of DADT. You have lost thousands of good people and millions of dollars in training and legal fees. There are stressed out soldiers killing their own and themselves when willing and able people could replace them. Do you really think the gay service members will act any different if they could talk about their family and friends or share worries and ask for help when they need it? They would be better. As for the crap and possible violence they WILL get, well….We live with it everyday already. You could be the first real step in our emancipation.
Before I watched the documentary series “Eye on the Prize” I wondered how and why black Americans feel the way they do. As I watched the footage and heard the history, I understood. I watched peaceful people stand in front of their church while ignorant white men and boys threw bricks and hate. I was ashamed of my race and my country that at anytime in our history we treated any human as something less. I understand why they turned and started throwing the bricks back and continue today.
I am not a violent person but today I wanted to throw a brick back.”
I feel for Judy and the anguish she still feels.
How long are we going to quietly sit and wait.
Soon the largest gathering of gay people in most major cities is going to happen and we need to be really heard this time. It is not about the bare asses or shirtless dykes. It is about making a real statement. We NEED to truly unite and come out of every closet.
Pride is coming and we NEED to do something big.
Any ideas?
Obama is not going to support any bill protecting gay rights because for him is more important to make his right wing friends happy than the people who supported him when he ran for president.
Putting people in jail longer does nothing to prevent hate crimes. Bad legislation.
I think we can finally get the Matthew Shepard Act enacted this year. The House has already approved it by a comfortable 249-175 margin. And perhaps most significantly, many of the so-called “Conservadems” in the Senate have come out in favor of it, including Nelson, McCaskill, Casey, Landrieu, Specter, Lieberman, Begich, and Bayh.
It really is now or never. The Democrats aren’t going to get 60 seats in the Senate next time. If Obama keeps on punting, he’ll find himself staring at November 2016 (with as little to show for it as Clinton). And I’m not talking only about gay rights. I’m talking about all of it — clean energy, health care, immigration, Cuba, and so forth. If no progress is made on the entire reform agenda soon, there won’t be a reform agenda in two years.
People like Rep. Virginia Foxx should become the target of GLBT anger. Let’s make her life, the lives of her family and the lives of any friends if she has any pure hell. Let the bitch learn what hate is.