You should check out this entry; it's got some neat stuff to think about. Like how Matthew Shepard has become the Queer Abuse Poster Boy... he's white, he's pretty, he's upper-middle-class... and how people who aren't quite as close to the Hollywood concept of what a "different" person should look or act like get ignored or shoved aside. I'm very glad he's caught people's attention & drawn public awareness to queer-directed hate crimes. But that doesn't mean we should pretend he's the first, or the only, or the most horrific example of hate crimes against queers. (Not bitching at you. Just throwin' more ideas around.)
I agree that it's sad that it seems to take someone from the "mainstream" to be abused or murdered before most people take notice... but that's just the way things seem to be. I don't think anyone's pretending that he was the first or any of that. He just struck a nerve with a lot of people, and regardless of why, I think that it is important that we take the opportunity to use his legacy to educate others. On a personal note I had a trance experience with Matthew Shepard a couple of years after his death. It was quite unexpected and ever since then I have had a memorial page on my website for him. And I didn't think you were bitching at me... that would be silly. ;) All I did was to post a memorial. If that pisses people off then there's a little more going on than bitchiness. ;)
2 comments:
You should check out this entry; it's got some neat stuff to think about. Like how Matthew Shepard has become the Queer Abuse Poster Boy... he's white, he's pretty, he's upper-middle-class... and how people who aren't quite as close to the Hollywood concept of what a "different" person should look or act like get ignored or shoved aside.
I'm very glad he's caught people's attention & drawn public awareness to queer-directed hate crimes. But that doesn't mean we should pretend he's the first, or the only, or the most horrific example of hate crimes against queers.
(Not bitching at you. Just throwin' more ideas around.)
I agree that it's sad that it seems to take someone from the "mainstream" to be abused or murdered before most people take notice... but that's just the way things seem to be. I don't think anyone's pretending that he was the first or any of that. He just struck a nerve with a lot of people, and regardless of why, I think that it is important that we take the opportunity to use his legacy to educate others.
On a personal note I had a trance experience with Matthew Shepard a couple of years after his death. It was quite unexpected and ever since then I have had a memorial page on my website for him.
And I didn't think you were bitching at me... that would be silly. ;) All I did was to post a memorial. If that pisses people off then there's a little more going on than bitchiness. ;)
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