Matthew Shepard: 15 Years Later
As today marks the 15th year anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s death in Laramie, Wyoming, many people are discussing new information that has come to light in the case. Reporter Stephen Jimenez recently released The Book of Matt, which is based on hundreds of interviews and circumstantial evidence. Jimenez indicates that the motive for Matthew’s killing could have been drug fueled and implies that Matthew was heavily involved in the drug ring in Laramie. As a result, critics are now saying that the legislation that was passed as a result of Matthew’s murder (the Matthew Shepard Act that was signed into law in 2009) has lost its legitimacy because of these new allegations.
The Matthew Shepard Act is something we (unfortunately) desperately still need in this country. Even though the overall rates of hate crimes have decreased since Matthew’s passing in 1998, the rates of anti-gay violence have increased. Anti-gay crimes accounted for about 1/5 of hate crimes (1,508 incidents) reported in 2011. In 2012, several areas of the country saw a massive spike in anti-gay crimes including New York City that saw a 70% increase from 2011 and this terrible encounter.
Furthermore, the Matthew Shepard Act allocates more tools to federal prosecutors and state investigators in order to effectively crack down on hate crimes. It allows states to request assistance (in the form of either money or resources) from the federal government. It also allows federal jurisdiction to be triggered in hate crime cases if certain factors are met. All of this helps to serve as a check against local bias and empowers prosecutors to seek justice for victims. As Justice Rehnquist has noted, hate crimes are unique because they “are more likely to provoke retaliatory crimes, inflict distinct emotional harms on their victims, and incite community unrest.”
Regardless of what the circumstances were leading up to the death of Matthew Shepard, the following is still true: His death was tragic and premature. The law enacted in his name is much needed and significantly helping other victims of hate crimes. Despite recent victories, we have a long way to travel in this country before all citizens are treated equally in the eyes of the law.