It has been a quarter of a century since the tragic death of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay student at the University of Wyoming. Matthew was brutally beaten and left tied to a remote fence for six days before passing away. This heinous hate crime became a catalyst for the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
Looking back, the activists who have been fighting for LGBTQ+ rights since the 1960s acknowledge the slow but steady progress that has been made. In 2000, Vermont legalized same-sex civil unions, and in 2003, Texas struck down a law criminalizing consensual gay sex. The military repealed the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in 2011, and in 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriages nationwide.
However, recent events have shattered the perception that equality has been achieved. Last year, a mass shooting at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado claimed the lives of five people. More than 20 states with Republican control have passed various anti-LGBTQ+ laws. These laws include bans on transgender youth participating in sports and receiving certain medical care, as well as restrictions on LGBTQ+-related discussions in schools.
“Undoubtedly we’ve made huge progress, but it’s all at risk,” said Kevin Jennings, CEO of Lambda Legal, which has been actively litigating against these new anti-LGBTQ+ laws. “Anybody who thinks that once you’ve won rights they’re safe doesn’t understand history. The opponents of equality never give up. They’re like the Terminator — they’re not going to stop coming until they take away your rights.”
While some of these laws target the entire LGBTQ+ community, many focus on transgender individuals. For example, Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law prohibits public school lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity. Additionally, some laws restrict the use of pronouns for transgender students in classrooms.
“In Florida, we are committed to being a refuge of sanity and a citadel of normalcy,” stated Governor Ron DeSantis as he signed these bills into law earlier this year. He added, “We’re not doing the pronoun Olympics in Florida.”
Transgender civil rights lawyer Shannon Minter considers these anti-trans bills and the legal harassment they enable as one of the grave threats to the LGBTQ+ community he has seen in his 30 years of activism. “Given the ferocity of this backlash, we are in danger now,” he said. “If we don’t act urgently, we risk significant bias and lack of legal protection for half the country.”
Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, sees these legislative attacks as a backlash against the progress made. He maintains that while the LGBTQ+ movement has made significant progress, there is a minority vehemently against it. “They are fired up and they are well-resourced,” Heng-Lehtinen warned.
Currently, many trans individuals across the country are struggling to find hope amidst these challenges. Despite this, Heng-Lehtinen remains optimistic for the long term. He believes that changing the current dynamic requires more people in states with GOP control to genuinely get to know and understand transgender individuals.
James Esseks, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s LGBTQ & HIV Project, concurs, stating, “The key to changing the current dynamic is for more people in GOP-governed states to get to know and understand trans people.” However, he acknowledges that efforts from the other side aim to prevent this understanding and acceptance. They seek to erase trans people’s existence by denying them healthcare, access to public restrooms, and government IDs that reflect their identities. Moreover, schools would be prohibited from teaching about the existence of trans individuals.
Esseks reflects on the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage ruling in 2015, noting that the opponents swiftly shifted their strategy. They began attacking transgender individuals and seeking religious exemptions to discriminate against gay people. Unfortunately, both strategies have been successful.
“LGBTQ+ Americans are living in a state of emergency — experiencing unprecedented attacks from extremist politicians and their right-wing allies in states across the country, who are working tirelessly to erase us,”
summarized Kelley Robinson, the president of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest national LGBTQ+ rights organization.
In discussions about these recent developments, many activists interviewed by The Associated Press invoked Matthew Shepard. His memory continues to live on in various ways, including:
- The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, signed into law by then-President Barack Obama in 2009. This act expanded federal hate crime laws to include crimes based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
- “The Laramie Project,” a play based on over 200 interviews with Laramie, Wyoming residents connected to Shepard and his murder. While a popular choice for high school theater productions, the play has faced opposition due to laws similar to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law in various states and communities.
- The Matthew Shepard Foundation, a nonprofit co-founded by Shepard’s mother, Judy. Its mission is to inspire individuals, organizations, and communities to embrace the dignity and equality of all people and to address hate in schools, neighborhoods, and homes.
“Matthew Shepard’s death was a life-altering moment for a lot of people,” said Shelby Chestnut, executive director of the Transgender Law Center. She has witnessed firsthand the impact of creating conditions where marginalized individuals have limited access to jobs and healthcare, making them more likely to fall victim to violence.
Cathy Renna, communications director of the National LGBTQ Task Force, also recalls the profound influence of Shepard’s murder on her LGBTQ+ activism in 1998. She states, “It shapes the way you do your advocacy for the rest of your life.” Renna believes that recognizing hate crimes as a prevalent issue is a crucial step towards change.
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