I mention above about my college acquaintance, Tony, who was rather obviously gay, from time to time getting dragged into a back alley by a couple of "he-men" and beaten up.

GfS insists that homosexuality is a matter of free choice, and further, that it is a psychological aberration that can be cured by proper counseling. Ake has heartfelt concern for the detrimental effects on those who practice anal intercourse—along with the pedophilia which he tells us is rampant among homosexual men. Both seem to be insisting that homosexual activity is "unnatural" (despite the incidence of homosexual activity within the animal kingdom) and "a perversion" (which can be anything one finds distasteful), although, to be fair, neither go quite as far as those of a religious fundamentalist bent who insist the homosexuality is a mortal sin.

One wonders sometimes where all this earnest concern for the health and well-being of gay men leaves off—and veiled hate speech begins. One also wonders where this sort of thing can lead. Well. . . .

Without further comment:

On October 7, 1998, at the Fireside Lounge in Laramie, Wyoming, Russel Arther Henderson and Aaron James McKinney, both 21 years old, picked up Matthew Shepard, a college student and also 21, and drove him to a remote rural area where they robbed him, pistol-whipped and tortured him, then tied him to a fence and left him to die.

Some 18 hours later Aaron Kreifels discovered Shepard, after initially mistaking him for a scarecrow. Shepard was still alive, but in a coma.

Shepard suffered fractures to the back of his head and in front of his right ear. He had severe brain stem damage, which affected his body's ability to regulate heart rate, body temperature, and other vital functions. There were also a dozen lacerations around his head, face, and neck. His injuries were deemed too severe for doctors to operate. Shepard never regained consciousness and remained on full life support. As he lay in intensive care, candlelight vigils were held by the people of Laramie.

He was pronounced dead at 12:53 A.M. on October 12, 1998, at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Police arrested McKinney and Henderson shortly thereafter, finding the bloody gun as well as the victim's shoes and wallet in their truck.

Henderson and McKinney had attempted to persuade their girlfriends to provide alibis, but subsequently the two of them were convicted of kidnapping and felony murder. Each "copped a plea" to avoid a death sentence, and each of them was given two consecutive life sentences without possibility of parole.

Why had the two of them committed this vicious act?

Matthew Shepard was gay.

Don Firth

P. S. I couldn't find a video, but here are the words to a song recorded by Peter Paul and Mary. CLICKY