How has Matthew Shepard's story affected you, personally?

Question

I'm not looking for a huge life story here. Just want to know if his death changed you at all. An example would be my good friend. he used to be extremely Homophobic.....He was fine with me, cause we have known each other so long. but When MTV aired "Anatomy of a hate crime" i made him watch it. Now, he goes to gay bars and pride with me, cause matthews death made him realize how cruel he was being.

My own affect is that Matthew helped me realize who I was, and therefore, helped me come out.

Has he affected you in any way? let us know about it!

if you leave negative comments, you WILL be reported.

Answer 1

His story has affected me. I cannot bring myself to watch the movies, though. I took my residents to see The Laramie Project in play form and that was hard enough.

I took a lot away from the story, but what stuck with me the most was two things that had to do with compassionate people in the aftermath. In the play the woman who worked on him trying to save him. I think she was a policewoman or something? Anyhow, she stuck with me.

And then whatever documentary it is (and I think there's more than one that shows them?) that has footage of the Angel Action folks... I remember crying at the serenity on the faces of the Angel Action folks in the face of the hate-mongers.

Those two things have stuck wtih me, and have given me hope that despite all the hate there are people out there who are still willing to do what's right, even if it puts them in a scary situation.

Answer 2

To be shamefully honest, I never knew much about Matthew Shepherd until just recently, which is sad. I remember having heard about it, but somehow the news slipped right over me. But when we read "The Laramie Project" in drama class, I was quite affected by the beauty of the story. That was a year ago, and just a month back, the school put on the play, and it was even more emotional and touching- made me tear up in so many places. I'm glad you don't ask for a huge life story, because I don't have one. But I will say that as I walked back from the play, I came as close as I ever have, in my entire life, of divulging my bisexuality to my best friend who attended the play with me (who still doesn't know, and as a conservative Christian, believes it sinful- though she's not hateful). It was an immensely odd feeling, because since I don't date much and have really put all that on the back burner, I've never felt like I was 'living a lie' or anything like that. It's never been an issue. But that moment, I really felt a lump in my throat. I felt like I could say it . . . and like a coward, I didn't, but it was still powerful.

I don't know if that's what you wanted to hear, but it's all I've got. It's amazing how many people's lives Matthew has touched.

Answer 3

When I read the reports of Matthew Shepard's death, it didn't change me at all.

I spent 18 months of my life trying to protect a 15 year old from gay men who wanted to get him hooked on drugs and be his pimps.

I had to listen to that boy dying from a heroin overdose on the telephone, at the age of 16 years and 13 days.

I cried a lot and I hurt a lot, but I couldn't change.

I would do the same thing all over again if I had to do.

Answer 4

I am old enough to remember when the event actually happened. At the time, I didn't have a real opinion about gays one way or another as I didn't know any LGBT's at the time - or at least none had come out of the closet.

When Mathew was killed, I remember thinking what a shame that this kid had his life snuffed out, for such a stupid reason. I think at about that point, and because of that incident, I have been open to LGBT's. I realized that they are no more, or no less, human than I was.

Answer 5

It saddened and angered me intensely. I'm a 38-year-old married straight woman who has several very close gay friends, a few going back 20+ years. I'm very protective over them, as are many of our other straight female friends. I was never raised to be homophobic, racist or bigoted toward any group of people who are different than me. I simply do not understand this hatred. I think that's great that your friend is coming around to accepting gay people. I like to think that I've educated people who are close to me to be less homophobic. I hope that's the case and not that they're simply scared that I'll rip 'em a new one if they say anything bad about gay people.

Answer 6

I do! My fiance and that i've got been on our first 'authentic' date as quickly as we'd been striking around one yet another for some weeks. We went for dinner, nonetheless to my house to make certain if there became a action picture we'd have enjoyed to bypass to. We ended up chatting jointly on my sofa for 2 extra hours. Then we swapped glasses to make certain how reliable each and each others' prescriptions have been. He mentioned he had to bypass as a results of fact he had to artwork early day after immediately. Then he began the 'lean in' difficulty, and that i became large worried as a results of fact i actually enjoyed him, so I mentioned "is this the area the place you kiss me?" Then we the two cracked up giggling so annoying that it became yet another 5 minutes in the previous we truthfully DID kiss. After that kiss, I knew he became the guy i became going to marry. i've got never been kissed like that. To at present time, 4 years later, he nevertheless catches me off look after with a kiss that make my abdomen dance and my heart pound. We even have an excellent "how we met" tale. he's a musician, and that i concept he became extremely attractive up on degree enjoying his sax. i had to fulfill him, yet my pal had to bypass away in the previous his destroy so I wasn't waiting to talk to him. So I wrote "Sax participant - digital mail me" on the lower back of a employer card and positioned it in his tip jar! And he DID digital mail me!!

Answer 7

His story really just made me be more worried about how much I can trust other people. Before watching the play we put on at my college I was very trusting and probably would of ended up being killed just like him since this town is a small hick town.

Answer 8

I could not have imagined that the death of someone I never knew could have affected me so deeply.

He was a human being, and he deserved to go on being one.

The courtroom speech by Matthew's Father is historical.

Answer 9

Matthew Shepheds death was not a "hate crime" he was robbed and beaten by drug addicts. Thousands of straight people are robbed, beaten and killed by drug addicts every year. The only thing that separated him from them was that he was gay. It has been covered up by the media that one of his attackers was also gay. Statistics show that 50% ofviolence against gays is done by fellow gays in domestic abuse situations..

Answer 10

I only heard about Shepard, in Wikipedia. I felt for the guy, it makes me sick to think how evil some people can be.