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LGBT News Matthew Sheppard's Story.

Discussion in 'Current Events, World News, & LGBT News' started by arkemdis, Oct 26, 2014.

  1. arkemdis

    arkemdis Guest

    The truth behind America

    So apparently there is a lot more to his death than just 'gay haters' actually his murderers might have been gay themselves.

    I think it is really unfair when people are painted as angels and demons...sane and insane....valid invalid...humane and psychopaths..and I am really surprised that a lot in the gay community do that, knowing damn well that we suffered the most from the mentality. It is so easy to just vilify someone instead of understanding what got them there to help prevent it in the future.

    Gay on gay crime is something that is almost nonexistent as a conversation because gay activists know anything like that taints the already tainted image of homosexuality. They responded with we will not smear his name after we've gotten donation and probably jobs out of his death.

    Do they really care about what happened to him? or is he just a pawn to advocate an ideal. We have so many problems in the gay community but it's like we don't want to even call them problems, everything is the straight world's fault.

    I am not saying there is no homophobia..neither is that journalist...but if the problem was not *just* homophobia and something much more complicated and underground it needs to surface to help others, learn from his real story..and to understand life is never black and white. Not all straight people are evil..not all gay people are angels. No one is either all the time.

    ---------- Post added 26th Oct 2014 at 11:08 AM ----------

    If anything I think it's very possible that internalized homophobia/self hatred is what got them all in this mess.
     
  2. Melanie

    Melanie Guest

    I'd be interested to read the book but I have to say that the extent to which he was beaten and basically mauled doesnt jibe with the statement that the real motive was that they wanted to steal 10k worth of meth from him.
     
  3. Pret Allez

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    I have to say, your words and your view caused me anger and hurt, but the way in which you put forth your position leave me no doubts about your compassion and desire to make things better. I take you to be very caring and earnest. We simply have a foundational disagreement on humanitarian progress.

    I have heard some of the alternative stories on this, and I'm unwilling to do the research to see what or the other story is "more true." Whatever the motivations of the attackers, whether from internalized homophobia, fear of sexual harassment (which is quite overblown to the point that legislatures have started to pass laws against "gay panic defense"), whatever that reduces to, a man was tortured and killed over his sexuality, nothing more or less than that.

    As to your worry that we're looking at things too black and white, I simply don't share your concern; in fact, I have the exact opposite worry. I find it completely horrifying that the LGBT community seems incapable of demonizing anyone, including real demons. From what I know of American history, social movements for human rights do not advance through the sheer magical power of loving kindness. White America was not overwhelmed by the cruely of turning attack dogs and firehoses on black protestors. What has ultimately won the day is that periods of potential destabilization allowed the forces of humanity to force small concessions out of evil. The accumulation of those concessions is the progress we now enjoy. No longer do American laborers live in Upton Sinclairs "The Jungle." No longer does the Pinkerton "Detective Agency" kill union organizers. No longer is the National Guard out stopping the unions. Workers have rights now, and none of that happened by understanding, or loving kindness.

    We now live in a marvelous world, where although sexism, racism, and homophobia still exist, we have curbed the most overt and toxic of their manifestations, and we have done so by force. Many of our victories against oppression have been acheived by making the world unsafe for those expressing it. There are things that people simply can't say anymore, because they will lose their friends, get fired from their jobs, and in the future, hopefully much, much worse. Here in the States, a 911 dispatcher got fired for racist remarks she made on Facebook. This demonstrated her unfit to serve in public safety, and she got dropped on her ass like the demon she is.

    This ontology may be very harsh, and it may be very unforgiving, but unless we're relentless like the oppressors, the cruelty will never end.
     
  4. BryanM

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    #4 BryanM, Oct 26, 2014
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  5. KyleD

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    That is a bunch of crap.
     
  6. Aussie792

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    If a gay man is murdered and your primary response is to immediately try to show that he wasn't an angel, then that is a horrible move with a very homophobic motivations.
     
  7. arkemdis

    arkemdis Guest

    I just quoted this to not cause a text wall situation. I really appreciate that you have differing views, that is why I am posting this here I want to hear what everyone thinks!.

    I do not mean to call homophobia as 'neutral', I just mean to say watch out where it may come from, gay people possibly being offenders themselves.

    Look I am with you a hundred percent that force is needed when a minority needs its rights. But I also worry about the complacent 'victim' mentality that minorities can have. Yes we are more likely to be victimized, but the message I wish is more vocal is..maltreatment can come from anywhere as well...including your own self! and sometimes it is the most brutal.

    The reason I am so sensitive to self victimizing, I come from a racial background that blames the west, the white, and Israel for EVERYTHING. That is so bloodthirsty to execute revenge, and avenge the dead. That is so obsessed with claiming it and only it knows what is really 'humane'. Complicated scenarios are simplified so that you believe that yes it is us against the world. Meanwhile you find those giving you the stories are abusing you the most tangibly. That a lot of our 'own' do the most damage, but are somehow forgiven because they are our own worse case they are not spoken about, just brushed under the carpet. But if the enemy does as much as sneezez at you it's made a spectacle.

    If you talk about that, you are immediately shunned, and called a betrayer, exiled, and revoked of your humanity/identity.

    Yes I understand a lot of minorities problems are due to oppression and external forces, but we can't transfer the self hating damage inflicted to our own back to the oppressors alone!, there has to be a lot of team work within the minority its self to say we need to put that behind us and move on. Our bitterness/saving face won't help anyone most of all our selves.

    And have clear guidelines about what is it that we do that is just not paying off for our own, if it seems counter-intuitive to the ideal we had.

    All I am saying is I want to believe in self empowerment. We should be ready to fight others, but understand that there is a fight for self improvement too!.

    Sorry if I am offensive in anyway, I only wish for world peace lol.
     
  8. Aussie792

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    We can't put what's still in front of us behind us. We can't ignore violence and discrimination when it still exists. You're asking that we forgive straight people for things that haven't yet been atoned for, while shifting most of the blame for problems that originated externally to ourselves.
     
  9. arkemdis

    arkemdis Guest

    It is not really fair to call it a 'primary' response.

    He wanted to make a movie about matthew thinking that the story was that he was an 'angel'....besides there is nothing noble about calling drug addiction and tragic life choices 'non angelic'. We all do horrible mistakes, most of the time because we don't know any better.

    His true story should help us learn better somehow.


    And are you guys seriously questioning a lesbian and a gay author in this subject so rapidly? What on earth are they faking the story for?

    The 'true' story does not make Matthew any less of a victim, and there is a lot of homosexuals who have a right out homophobic attack to their name. Ahmet Yildiz was someone who's his own father killed him for being gay.

    So it is not about decriminalizing homophobia in anyway...it is just about placing the blame where it belongs in every crime in my opinion.
     
    #9 arkemdis, Oct 26, 2014
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  10. Aussie792

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    You consider drug addiction to be deserving of punishment, a moral flaw?
     
  11. Pret Allez

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    Well, I feel like my humanity just got called into question, so... :frowning2:

    I know. I have been just as critical of internalized homophobia and femme hatred on Empty Closets and elsewhere.

    I have no idea what you're talking about.

    I am unclear about how we're self-victimizing, and this whole line of logic is extremely upsetting.

    Again, I don't understand what you're talking about with this "self hating damage." I don't hate myself. Other people hate me. They want me dead, they want you dead, and they want everyone like us dead. I don't understand what you're asking the LGBT community to do.

    Can you please explain more about this concept?

    How do we need to improve ourselves? And to what degree is being treated with humanity contingent on this self-improvement?

    This is way, way worse than the original...
     
  12. arkemdis

    arkemdis Guest


    Self maltreatment: Drug use, reckless sexual pursuits, lack of safe sex practice glamourised, hiv transmission fetish, suicidal ideation, body image idealisation, helplessness being pinned down to 'bullies out there' *alone*.

    Self victimizing: If only we had a society that says being gay is ok, we would not actually do what we are doing above, that is the only reason. It is not possible that we as gay human beings just as straight human beings do flawed lifestyle choices because we refuse to say, this is just a plain bad habit I like it...but it is bad.


    You don't hate your self....but perhaps Matthew and his friends did...so many do!, and they can inflict so much damage. Saying Matthew did this or that should not villify the whole gay public, but unfortunately it does, and that is why activists would not be interested in that perspective of his story, and that frustrates me.


    Do you know how impactfull stories like his would be, someone who is in his same situation may go like...hey I don't want to end up like that. I will make some life altering decisions.

    In the gay community we are proud we do not judge, and somehow not judging, is not being quiet vocal about things that our own do within us to us that is quiet demeaning and destructive. Everything is left to..'well it is just a preference' or we just close the damn topic and go back to talking about homophobes.


    Oh my God, all I am saying, is that can we please not pretend that we as lgbt don't inflict harm to our own, and when it does happen it is not the straight world's freaking fault ALONE to say the least?. I have a friend who was freaking raped and bled to his knees, by a construction openly gay male. He'd walk to the gay bar and he and his buddies laugh at him...it was horrible, but that's all I want to say.....just as humans kill each other, women demean each other, gays do it too. Why can't we just own up to it???? And guess what he was feminine, just as I suspect Matthew was amongst his 'not really gay' buddies.
     
    #12 arkemdis, Oct 26, 2014
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  13. Aussie792

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    That entire rhetoric bases its assumption on putting guilt on the victim; as if he's a learning experience rather than the victim of horrific violence. As if a few easy choices could have been made on his part, and the absence of those is a mark on his character.

    Nobody's saying that gay people are flawless. But you're trying to pin more blame on the queer community's issues than is our due, and you'll find that PretAllez is a very vocal opponent of internalised homophobia and misogyny as well as a voice against those behaviours from straight people and men. She very well acknowledges that, as do I.

    I'm not quite sure how you're exasperated; you're the one repeating yourself without taking in any comments. It's rather hard to understand what you're trying to get at with the exception of the morally and factually dubious line of argument that essentially blames Sheppard for his own murder.

    It would be perfectly understandable if you didn't have the condition that gay people are somehow responsible in a way that straight people aren't for homophobia.
     
  14. arkemdis

    arkemdis Guest

    Here an example of how we in the gay community have such a difficult time saying something is bad - stop it.....equates to you are a judgmental bigot?.

    No drug addiction is not deserving of punishment because the addiction is a punishment by its self, yes I'd like if it encouraged to be called a moral flaw - that any of us could fall into!, but it sure as hell is not worth of praise or complacent sympathy or it's your life do as you please, no you will eventually drag others no way around it, and if you are selling it, yes you deserve to be punished.

    ---------- Post added 26th Oct 2014 at 01:47 PM ----------

    You do realize that this story states that his murderers were gay???????

    The first sentence of my post??? His murderers????????.

    And yes doing drugs is an ill choice, not that I am saying it deserves death, not that I am saying I am immune to it, but it should be clarified what usually happens with drugs and!! sexual prostitution something that so many gay guys joke about, and idolize, and think it's all fun and games. It is romanticized.

    If this was a bunch of straight guys doing drugs and a shooting happens we would not be having the self victimizing discussion at all. They'd be a bunch of bad boys, and well you know that's what males do and some died. No one would be called phobic of anything.

    ---------- Post added 26th Oct 2014 at 02:01 PM ----------

    Take responsibility to not get exploited. This is what I wish we talk about more. Don't blame the victim, but GOD DAMN IT! take an active role in not being exploited! It is a cruel world, till it is not you just have to damn do it!. Till the world is a 'haven' this is a self loving action you can do for your self! Life is not fair but work on making it as fair as possible! Do not abuse your self...do not romanticize it in anyway!
     
    #14 arkemdis, Oct 26, 2014
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  15. Chromedome

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    Mathew Shepard is like the gay male Black Dhalia...:icon_sad:
     
  16. KyleD

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    The very fact that the defense used the gay panic defence proved his sexual orientation played a major part in his death.
     
  17. Pret Allez

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    I'm still one confused lady. :confused: I'm just gonna go back to the dojo and the range, because I'm pretty sure I can protect LGBT people better by developing physical skills than I can by telling them not to do drugs or whatever...

    I can understand that people should not be engaged in risky behaviors, but I don't see the relation that and love-peace-kumbayaing our way to a humane society...
     
    #17 Pret Allez, Oct 26, 2014
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  18. arkemdis

    arkemdis Guest

    Using gay panic is a way to reduce punishment. Like claiming insanity or being intoxicated.

    ---------- Post added 27th Oct 2014 at 11:43 PM ----------

    Ok. To clear the confusion, if this is really happened to Matthew it would reveal the darkness of something else other than *plain* homophobia which is what his case was. It would be really unfair if this is a drug related story, a despair out of whatever story that is resolved in healthy ways, how that when you are out there 'cruising' there is a lot that could go wrong. How that sex is not something you do irresponsibly.

    But all over the comment somehow people feel offended that such a story could be even possible..and that it has to be a conspiracy of some sort. How the Matthew Sheppard foundation answered stating there has been a lot of donations sent on the premise of a story. I found that shocking...it's as disgusting as churches do, they do the same exact shit in the name of 'goodness'.

    I don't know how Matthew felt, but I can imagine my self following such a path, I was close my self, but I saw others who did 'ending' and thought let me hold on and try something more reasonable. Perhaps it's homophobia that pushed him to that path yes, but life has many pressures regardless, so drug use can not be excused by saying well life is unfair. If I hadn't known of such stories might self I might have thought this is what I should be doing with my life as well.

    I just want the truth to be told, and not be feared just cause it would burst an ideal..whatever wing it is..right or left.

    ---------- Post added 27th Oct 2014 at 11:48 PM ----------

    It does not in anyway justify his murder!!, but the idea that the details of the crime are irrelevant is to me quiet infuriating. Do not polarize humans is all I am saying.

    ---------- Post added 27th Oct 2014 at 11:52 PM ----------

    There is nothing peaceful about methamphetamine addiction, what are you on about...this is exactly the nonsense we're plagued with in the LGBT community, talking about drugs/safe sex practices is like being a closeted prude or something and people just don't want to go into it.

    Fine you guys, yes Matthew died because of homophobia, the end.
     
  19. Choirboy

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    I get what you're saying, arkemdis. Sometimes the truth behind a story, like the real person behind the public persona, is more complicated than we're led to believe. It doesn't make the story any less tragic, and it doesn't make the victim less victimized. It also doesn't negate the positive change that comes about as a result of the story. It just means that there may be more to the story than we've been led to believe.

    Is it possible that a very slight and youthful-looking gay man was brutally and horribly murdered, and the media picked up on the story largely because he seemed like an easy mark for brutality, based on his orientation and stature, and the fact that the murder occurred in an area that the public would perceive as particularly homophobic? Of course. We all know that the news outlets cherry-pick the stories that they report to maximize the audience. A black woman from the inner city who disappears won't get much press, but a white woman from the suburbs will, because the media aren't interested in the truth as much as they are gathering viewers. Any drug angle on the Sheppard case would have come to light long after the narrative was already established that a 5' 2" gay college student had been tortured and brutally murdered by a several potentially homophobic thugs in rural Wyoming.

    Is it possible that a defense lawyer chose to ignore a previous connection between the defendants and the victim, and chose instead to cook up the "gay panic" defense, with the idea that a potentially homophobic Wyoming jury would consider it a legitimate reason to kill a gay man? And it backfired? Seems logical to me as well. The defense lawyer's job is to get his clients acquitted, and "gay panic" would play to what the lawyer saw as a fear that a jury might potentially identify with. (When you think about it, if the killers had a previous sexual connection with Sheppard, that would actually make the "gay panic" defense even MORE heinous and manipulative, if that's possible.)

    None of this speculation changes the fact that this was a hideous, brutal act perpetrated against a gay man, and hideous and brutal acts ARE, in fact, perpetrated against gay men and women. If the real story was a little more sleazy than we've been led to believe, or if Sheppard had a far more complicated life that the media chose to ignore or whitewash, it still doesn't negate the brutality of his death. If his death really wasn't the result of overt homophobia, it still drew attention to the brutality and deaths that ARE, and raised public awareness of them.

    And just because we sometimes ARE victimized because we're gay doesn't make homophobia a blanket excuse for every unkind word, bullying, beating or murder of a gay man or woman. Just because there's poison ivy in the woods doesn't mean that every rash you get after a hike there is the result of coming in contact with it. I stayed in the closet for decades because I was convinced that I'd be hated for being gay, and I'm discovering that people are far more accepting than I thought, and I was far more harmed by my own belief that I'd be victimized for being gay, than I have been by the people who discovered I was gay.

    I'm sure much of what I'm saying won't play well with a lot of people, but I really wanted you to know that someone understood what you were getting at. Peace.