|
Its been a decade since Matthew Shepard was found tethered to a fence in rural Wyoming. His death at the hands of two men who pretended to be gay only so that they could rob, beat and kill him sparked national outrage among the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and our straight allies who found their acts despicable.
When it comes to hate related crimes against the LGBT community not much has changed in the past ten years. Were still the bulls eye for the hate mongers perverted game of darts.
A few weeks back in Oxnard, California, Lawrence King was gunned down for being openly gay. What makes this story so heartbreaking is that King was 15. His assailant, Brandon McInerney, was only 14.
Yes, thats right. A 14 year old boy who lives in a rather accepting community walked into his junior highs computer lab, pulled out a gun and shot King in the head. McInerneys intent couldnt be any clearerhe wanted to kill the 15 year old who was openly gay and challenged the gender stereotype that adolescents hold so dear.
King was not only out but he had started wearing mascara, lipstick and jewelry to school. Not your typical garb for a 15 year old boy. Despite the bullying he received from a group of guys, including the shooter, who couldnt wrap their heads around Kings presentation, he was proud of who he was and wouldnt change his persona so that others around him would be more comfortable.
The taunts and jeers of his schoolmates were pretty much par for the course in California. According to a 2005 California Healthy Kids Survey, seventh-graders in the state are 50 percent more likely to be harassed in school because of sexual orientation or gender identity than those in 11th grade.
Despite his age, the shooter is being charged as an adult with murder as a premeditated hate crime and gun possession. If convicted, hell be in jail for at least 52 years, if not for life.
King was the victim of hate and homophobia. So is McInerney. If our society wasnt so homophobic and didnt treat us like second class citizens, kids like the 14-year old McInerney wouldnt be so scared of someone who was different. And, his fear wouldnt automatically turn to hate, as it did, on that fateful day in their schools computer lab.
Just last week, another gay youth was gunned down in Ft. Lauderdale which is known on the one hand as a mecca for gay tourism and on the other hand as the community that elected Jim Naugle, an extreme homophobe, as mayor.
17 year old Simmie Williams Jr. was gunned down on the morning of February 22nd just moments after witnesses heard an argument between him and two men. Like the California teen, Williams challenged gender stereotypes. He was wearing a dress at the time of the shooting.
However, less than 24 hours later, Ft. Lauderdale resident Melbourne Brunner was just sitting in a diner, in regular clothes, eating a 3:30 a.m. breakfast with his partner. According to a police report, an unidentified man walked up to the pair and started spewing anti-gay epithets at them. At one point, the man made a violent motion with his hands, saying, This is how I break faggots necks.
Brunner and his partner left the dinner but the man followed and blocked them from getting into their car. He then punched Brunner in the face who fell to the ground. The man took off his shirt, covered his license plate and fled after threatening Brunners partner.
Brunner is recovering from the physical trauma quickly. While hes scared, Brunner is not about to let this incident define his life. I will not let it change me. I will do what I need to do and will conduct my business, he told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. I refuse to let it change me. If I do, people like him win.
The homophobes have been winning in our country for way too long. Two terms of Bush in the White House have given those who hate us carte blanche. The FBIs 2006 hate crime statistics show an 18 percent increase in crimes based on actual or perceived sexual orientation.
It took just a few weeks for two young lives to be cut short. Well never know who they could have become. In their absence, we know what we must becometheir voices telling the nation to stop the hate. |
