While we wait for the US House to vote on the Matthew Shepard Act, also known as HR 1913 Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, Gay Rights Watch is supplying a fantastic blow-by-blow of the debate. I’m learning a lot about House members from around the country.
Take for example Virginia Foxx, Republican representative of the 5th District in North Carolina. She had a heckuva lot to say, including on Twitter, where just before the debate began she called the hate crimes bill a “thought crimes” bill. But I think she managed to suck all the air out of the room when she said this:
I also would like to point out that there was a bill — the hate crimes bill that’s called the Matthew Shepard bill is named after a very unfortunate incident that happened where a young man was killed, but we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. it wasn’t because he was gay. This — the bill was named for him, hate crimes bill was named for him, but it’s really a hoax that that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills.
Just to refresh your memory, Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, beaten, tortured, and ultimately murdered ten years ago. He was also robbed, yes, but he was targeted specifically because he was gay. This fact is not in dispute; it was confirmed by the then-girlfriends of Shepard’s murderers at trial.
So no, Representative Foxx, it’s not a hoax. Matthew Shepard was murdered specifically because he was gay. And it wasn’t a “very unfortunate incident”. It was a murder. Shame on you for trying to demean the value of his life.
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