http://www.matthewshepard.org/our-story
This is the story of Matthew Shepard. I remember doing a project about him in middle school and I was appalled by what was done to him because he was gay. On October 9, 1998 he was kidnapped by two men, robbed, pistol whipped, tied up to a fence like a scarecrow and left to die. His story fanned the outrage that followed word of the attack, spawning vigils, producing calls for Federal hate-crimes legislation from President Clinton and fueling debates over such laws in a host of Western states, including Wyoming, that have resisted them. The story of Matthew Shepard has has challenged and inspired millions of individuals to erase hate in all forms and it did spark the nation to realize that hate and discrimination were still occurring.
Although this was one of the most heart wrenching and a story very difficult to handle, I would like to say that his spirit and legacy has helped up come to where we are now. Nowadays we don't hear about horrific crimes happening like this, hate is still around and people are still discriminating against gays, blacks, Asians, etc. but I truly believe it has died down and it ultimately could've been a lot worse now.Matthew Shepard was just a young man who was brutally murdered because of his sexuality in 1998 they didn't have laws against homosexual hate crimes and this was the start for all of the states to realize that things like this do happen and they need to start implementing the right laws to stop this. This was a wake up call and it's terrible that he had to suffer but without his courage and suffering who knows if we would have any laws to help hate crimes or if this and worse things would continue to happen. Matthew Shepard may be dead but his spirit and legacy still lives on today.
This is really sad that he life had to end the way it did and when it did. Homosexuality definitely has come a long way since Matthew Shepard's time. There is a continious hatred and discrimination toward homosexuals, but people will always have their negative opinions on every topic of life. Many gay people don't feel timid about their true emotions because the country, as a whole, has become more open to homosexuals in the past few years. In the next ten years I believe homosexuality won't even be a huge issue to deal with in different states. People will always have their personal opinions, but I believe the country and the individual states will be for homosexuals and will try to make their lives as easy as heterosexuals in terms of marriage, etc. Homosexuality can be compared to slavery. It will soon be taken care of and the states will eventually give homosexuality the same freedoms pertaining to marriage and having children as heterosexuals, but there will always be those people who are judgemental towards the homosexuals just like racism is still going on today against African Americans.
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