GayLawNet® remembers Matthew Shepard, whose tragic death on 12 October 1998 as a result of a brutal, unprovoked attack in Laramie, Wyoming shocked all.
We should perhaps also remember all those other members of the gay community who have been the victims of unprovoked violence and those who have tragically gone before Matthew and since Matthew's death.
Though a number of States have hate crime legislation for attacks motivated by racial, ethnic and religious bias, only relatively few States and the District of Columbia have statutes that protect victims who are attacked because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
All States should be moved to impose severe penalties upon the perpetrators of such violent acts and the Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 1998 (HCPA), H.R.3081 and S.1529 or like legislation, should also be passed by the US Congress.
Similar legislation should be passed in all other civilised jurisdictions around the world.
Update: 22 October 1999 - According to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, 31 people have been the victims of hate crime homicides in the US since Shepard's death. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation over 8000 hate crime incidences were reported in the United States in 1997.
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