Seventeen years have passed since Matthew Shepard was beaten, tied to a fence and left to die in Laramie, Wyoming. His murder reverberated across the nation, inspiring advocates to work even harder to move the dial on gay rights and protections.
And seventeen years later, the town of Laramie has finally passed a local anti-discrimination ordinance that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, employment and access to public facilities such as restaurants.
But why the town of roughly 30,000 people and not the entire state? Not for lack of trying.
For years, lawmakers have been trying to pass statewide protections for gays in housing and the workplace, but the Republican-dominated state legislature (there are currently 26 Republicans and only 4 Democrats) hasn’t been an easy crowd.
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“I’m thrilled that Laramie’s doing it, at the same time sort of saddened that the state of Wyoming can’t see fit to do that as well,” Matthew’s mother-turned-advocate Judy Shepard told the AP. “Maybe the rest of Wyoming will understand this is about fellow human beings and not something that’s other than what they are.”
Gov. Matt Mead (R) has adamantly worked to keep same-sex marriage out of the state, going to court last year to defend Wyoming’s gay marriage ban before federal judges.
Given the state’s political landscape, the small victory in Laramie is a victory nonetheless.
Rep. Cathy Connolly, D-Laramie, a lesbian and a professor in the Women’s Studies Program at the University of Wyoming who has worked on statewide anti-discrimination campaigns, said, “I’m so proud to be a resident of Wyoming tonight, and a member of this community.”
David Peters
Tammi Sloan Peters
Patrick Arwood
And I can almost guarantee some redneck asshole will try to repeal. I lived in Wyoming the better part of 25 years, they haven’t really changed much.
Mary Nana Moyer
it’s about time!
IvanPH
Until, of course, the bigots place it on the ballot and it gets repealed. 🙁
Bob LaBlah
Keep in mind the people who were in the age bracket of 20-35 are now middle aged (or near) and are the ones who more or less running the town. They now have kids who are teenagers and realize there is a new day.
I was surprised to see the outrage of the town at the time this happened. It wasn’t like they didn’t have sympathy for Matthew because for the most part, they showed they did. As a matter of fact the town of Casper had a march against hatred.
Terrence Houlihan
GOD BLESS YOU MATHEW SHEPARD!!!!
Jim Polcyn
What a sweet guy he must have been…
John Kuehnle
It’s a shame the way he was left to die. I’ve enjoyed 20/20 but shame on them for saying it was a drug deal gone bad not a hate crime.
Lewis Kinslayer
Wow. That was fast. -.-
James Benson
WOW That is too bad for Matthew it came late 17 yrs too late
Jim Long
At least it happened….baby steps for our sad, sad country, it should be every state and every county in each state!
Maude
I look at that photo of Matthew, and I can almost see myself.
I was a “small, but wiry” guy, and except for a few ‘near misses’,
I was never really in any tough spots.
Probably because I preferred young men my own age and physique.
Although I slept with more than a few, The ‘hunks’ weren’t my type, because they always assumed because I was a “little fella”, they would be my ideal playmate….
I never did like the arrogance, and still don’t.
But “Last Call” would sometimes bring desperation…..if you know what I mean.
Christopher Michael
The thought of his morder still hurts
Robert Walsh
It’s about time! God rest his soul and the souls of all the victims of hate crimes no matter what the reason the hate came about or why the victim was targeted. There are a lot of sick people in our society and they are being aided and abetted in their crimes by certain elements in the media who have declared war on various minority communities.