The Legacy of Matthew Shepard: Why his murder still resonates today

We cannot let the conditions of this violent and discriminating world affect us. “But what we can and should let affect us is love,” said Peter Tresnan ’15, who spoke at the Matthew Shepard Vigil on Wednesday, October 12, 2011. “Every kind of love. Brotherly love, sisterly love, motherly love, fatherly love, sexual love, teenage I-love-you-after-ten-minutes-of- dating love, old married couple I-guess- I-still-love-you love…family love and every type of love that I cannot even think of. That is what we have in us. That is what changes us in the world.”

Love has inspired me to join the LG- BTQ movement and become an advocate against the cruelties of our contemporary world. In the name of Matthew Shepard, a young, gay 21-year-old who was brutal- ly murdered thirteen years ago, we must unite to speak out against hate crimes and inequality. “[V]iolence against LG- BTQ individuals is still alarmingly com- mon,” said Andrew Sowle ’13, a student speaker at the Vigil. “Last April, a young transgender woman was brutally beaten in the women’s restroom of a Maryland McDonald’s while people watched passively over a video tape. In fact, [2009] saw the second highest number of murders against LGBTQ and HIV positive individuals in America.” Being gay, straight, bisexual, transgender or queer does not make a per- son any less worthy of being loved, of being taken into account in a school, at the workplace, at a bathroom, bar or simply on the street. Being LGBTQ is a characteristic that makes up a part of the beautifully complex identity that all human beings share on this earth.

Remembering Matthew’s murder and being reminded of the continuing strife that Connecticut College students have experienced in their lives is important for the future of our LGBTQ movement. Our past is essential in defining our future. Matthew’s powerful legacy has already shaped pro-LGBTQ federal legislation. But does it all become settled once it’s signed into a bill or a policy?

Even after sexual orientation and gen- der identity have been adopted into the Hate Crime Prevention Act, have our fel- low Camels stopped being discriminated against outside of this campus? Simply, the answer is no. Hate, ignorance and in- tolerance have made the lives of our own Conn Coll peers a living nightmare in their own families. “I [have been] a victim of bullying and harassment since middle school…” said a student speaker at the Vigil. “As a gay Latino at Conn, I have learned that the person I should truly love is myself. Yes, hate crimes still exist and continue to oppress LGBTQ individuals for various reasons. But our community must persevere.” Another student speaker added, “I’m forced to choose being His- panic or being a Lesbian. When I am at home, my Hispanic culture completely diminishes and rejects my sexual identity. Why can’t I be both?” What can our generation do differently? What can we do to support our peers? What can we do to show our genuine love for humanity?