Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Democrats_win

(6,539 posts)
Tue Oct 11, 2016, 01:49 PM Oct 2016

Oct. 12, 1998, Eighteen years ago, Matthew Shepard was murdered.

I can still remember talk/hate radio saying that we shouldn't have hate crime laws because people have the right to hate. However these laws have been enacted to ensure that crimes against an entire group of people are prosecuted. Meanwhile, the government through RFRA laws, enables so-called religion to encourage hate crimes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard
Matthew Wayne "Matt" Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) was an American student at the University of Wyoming who was beaten, tortured, and left to die near Laramie, Wyoming on the night of October 6, 1998. He died six days later at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado, on October 12, from severe head injuries.

12 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Oct. 12, 1998, Eighteen years ago, Matthew Shepard was murdered. (Original Post) Democrats_win Oct 2016 OP
I recommend Austin Conspirare's "Considering Matthew Shepard" as a choral rememberance. Eleanors38 Oct 2016 #1
Beautiful Matthew Shepard. HERE: misterhighwasted Oct 2016 #3
You are welcome. Eleanors38 Oct 2016 #5
Thank you for honoring Matthew Shepard today misterhighwasted Oct 2016 #2
Message auto-removed Name removed Oct 2016 #4
Debunking Stephen Jimenez's Effort To De-Gay Matthew Shepard's Murder misterhighwasted Oct 2016 #6
Pissed you off too? Behind the Aegis Oct 2016 #8
Oh yes. Jiminez was a cowboy papparazzi out for a story. misterhighwasted Oct 2016 #10
Even if they had "hooked up" in the past, that doesn't eliminate homophobia as a motive. nomorenomore08 Oct 2016 #11
Debunking Stephen Jimenez's Effort To De-Gay Matthew Shepard's Murder Behind the Aegis Oct 2016 #7
What could have been... (from the ADL) Behind the Aegis Oct 2016 #9
Jeez that is sad as hell... nomorenomore08 Oct 2016 #12

misterhighwasted

(9,148 posts)
2. Thank you for honoring Matthew Shepard today
Tue Oct 11, 2016, 02:08 PM
Oct 2016
http://www.matthewshepard.org/

Matthew Shepard Foundation

Our Mission
The Matthew Shepard Foundation empowers individuals to embrace human dignity and diversity through outreach, advocacy and resource programs. We strive to replace hate with understanding, compassion and acceptance.



Matthew's Place

http://www.matthewsplace.com/matthews-story/



"The life and death of Matthew Shepard changed the way we talk about, and deal with, hate in America. Since his death, Matt’s legacy has challenged and inspired millions of individuals to erase hate in all its forms. Although Matt’s life was short, his story continues to have a great impact on young and old alike. His legacy lives on in thousands of people who actively fight to replace hate with understanding, compassion, and acceptance."

Response to Democrats_win (Original post)

misterhighwasted

(9,148 posts)
6. Debunking Stephen Jimenez's Effort To De-Gay Matthew Shepard's Murder
Tue Oct 11, 2016, 02:54 PM
Oct 2016

SNIP
Anonymous or simply unreliable sources are at the heart of Jimenez's effort to de-gay Shepard's murder. An anonymous "Wyoming law enforcement official" told him that "Shepard's murder had nothing to do with his sexual preferences."
Jimenez doesn't elaborate on the extent of this official's involvement with the case, but he assures readers that the official's claim was "an assertion I would come to hear often during interviews."
Among the others repeating that assertion was Glenn Duncan, a disbarred attorney who lost his law license after allegations of misusing clients' funds. Duncan agreed to an interview with Jimenez on the condition "that someone in the media finally tells the truth about Shepard's murder."

In fact, Jimenez relates, "[t]he more time I spent in Laramie ... the more frequently I heard rumors of a cover-up around the murder." While unfounded gossip is hardly unheard of in the aftermath of a horrific crime, Jimenez is seemingly convinced that these rumormongers are on to something.

The "hidden truths" Jimenez claims to uncover are that McKinney and Shepard were regular methamphetamine users deeply implicated in the drug trade, and that, contrary to what McKinney (the principal attacker), Henderson, prosecutors, and Shepard's friends and family have always said, the two men actually knew each other before the night of the attack. What's more, Jimenez says, the two had had sex before - suggesting that homophobia couldn't possibly have been a factor in Shepard's murder.

The principal source for the latter claim is Thomas "Doc" O'Connor, a Laramie chauffeur and operator of the Lincoln Escort Service. O'Connor told Jimenez that one night, McKinney and two other men were fooling around in the back seat of his limousine, and that "Matt may have been one of the guys in back [of the limo] with Aaron. ... I can't say for sure."

More at link:
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/10/02/debunking-stephen-jimenezs-effort-to-de-gay-mat/196229

Unreliable sources and no proof beyond local whispers.

HERE'S ANOTHER by ThinkProgress

The Book Of Matt’ Doesn’t Prove Anything, Other Than The Size Of Stephen Jimenez’s Ego


"But the problems with Jimenez’s ethics begin in the Author’s Note that begin The Book of Matt.
“Though this is a work of nonfiction journalism, I have occasionally employed methods that are slightly less stringent to re-create the dialogue of characters — words I did not personally hear; nor could the characters themselves recall every word exactly from memory,” he explains. “But my intention throughout has been to remain faithful to the actual characters and events as they really happened.”
This is a dubious practice to employ at all, but Jimenez compounds the problem by not distinguishing which quotations are manufactured from recollections, which are paraphrases recounted by sources, and which were spoken directly to him."


https://thinkprogress.org/the-book-of-matt-doesn-t-prove-anything-other-than-the-size-of-stephen-jimenez-s-ego-c7ba5d0becee#.y4d7idnhc

Stephen Jiminez would be a fine storyteller of fiction based loosely on a actual event.


misterhighwasted

(9,148 posts)
10. Oh yes. Jiminez was a cowboy papparazzi out for a story.
Tue Oct 11, 2016, 03:05 PM
Oct 2016

Glad Mediamatters peeled the layers of skin off that talltale.
He really took the word of local meth users and discredited sources to build his "what if.." story?

Loser.

nomorenomore08

(13,324 posts)
11. Even if they had "hooked up" in the past, that doesn't eliminate homophobia as a motive.
Sat Oct 15, 2016, 12:05 AM
Oct 2016

If anything, that would make it seem likely that McKinney participated in the murder out of shame and anger RE: his "unacceptable" sexual relationships.

And please understand I'm not saying any of this was the case - the killers seem to have been distant acquaintances of Shepard's at most. But even if you believe Jimenez (which I don't) his "conclusion" doesn't indicate what he claims it does.

Behind the Aegis

(53,833 posts)
7. Debunking Stephen Jimenez's Effort To De-Gay Matthew Shepard's Murder
Tue Oct 11, 2016, 02:55 PM
Oct 2016

SHODDY JOURNALISM, TERRIBLE CONSEQUENCES

Although right-wing media have rejoiced at the arrival of The Book of Matt - convinced that it exposes an LGBT "grievance industry" founded on "lies" and cover-ups, Jimenez's repeated conjecture, unreliable sources, and stubborn denial of blatant evidence of homophobia mark the book as a sub-par work of reportage.

In the course of his failed effort to upend the public's understanding of Shepard's murder, Jimenez pays no heed to the reality of anti-LGBT hate crimes. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) notes that no other minority group is as targeted for hate crimes. However poor the investigative work and unfounded the conclusions, Jimenez's book gives aid and comfort to those who turn a blind eye to anti-LGBT violence and bigotry.

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/10/02/debunking-stephen-jimenezs-effort-to-de-gay-mat/196229

Latest Discussions»Alliance Forums»LGBT»Oct. 12, 1998, Eighteen ...