l to r-Mathew's parents Judy and Dennis Shepard,the late Mathew Shepard(RIP) and the incredible moment in Washington when President Barack Obama signed the new anti hate crime legislation
-President Obama signed major civil rights legislation on Wednesday, making it a federal hate crime to assault people based on sexual orientation, gender and gender identity. The new measure expands the the scope of a 1968 law that applies to people attacked because of their race, religion or national origin. The U.S. Justice Department will have expanded authority to prosecute such crimes when local authorities don't.
The provision, called the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. It is named after Matthew Shepard, a gay college student tortured and killed in 1998, and James Byrd Jr., a black man who was chained to a pickup truck and dragged to his death the same year.
Huffingtonpost(click) and Unfinishedlivesblog.com
Dear Readers,
If you're a gay man you should already know about Mathew Shepard's incredible story.
If you don't know about Mathew.... then please read about the epic struggle his most loving parents waged to get this ground breaking anti hate legislation through the American political system. Any person who has been murdered for being a homosexual makes me want to cry a million tears. Gay men all over the world are tortured and killed just for being gay. This legislation is just the first step to lifting Mathews honor, beauty and legacy closer to the clouds where he resides now. I love you Mathew like millions of people love you all over the world. When you died, I cried. Your parents are angels who continue to protect your spirit here on earth. I would take ten years off my life if only to give them to you Mathew. I want to cry just thinking about the way you were murdered. We love you Mathew. You're a hero to us. And your parents Judy and Dennis are the parents of the decade if you ask me.
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