Is Good Still Coming Out of Evil?

I haven't blogged in a long time. Not because I haven't had ideas of what I wanted to write...but a lack of ambition to actually write it out.

But I just watched the movie The Laramie Project. If you don't know, it's a true story about a group of playwrights that travel to Laramie, Wyoming after Matthew Shepard was brutally killed there for being a homosexual. They proceed to interview hundreds of members of the Laramie community. This community is tired and wounded and left with the knowledge that two of their kids killed another kid. People in Laramie are divided about their views of homosexuality but all are wounded by the senseless killing. It's an amazing movie that had me in tears during much of it (and I don't cry much) and I really hope you all take ninety minutes to rent and watch it.

Near the end of the movie, they show Matthew's dad's statement to the court that was trying Matt's killers. It's so emotional but I was caught off-guard by one thing in particular. Mr. Shepard says:

"Matt’s beating, hospitalization, and funeral focused worldwide attention on hate. Good is coming out of evil. People have said 'Enough is enough.' You screwed up, Mr. McKinney. You made the world realize that a person’s lifestyle is not a reason for discrimination, intolerance, persecution, and violence. This is not the 1920s, 30s, and 40s of Nazi Germany. My son died because of your ignorance and intolerance. I can’t bring him back. But I can do my best to see that this never, ever happens to another person or another family again. As I mentioned earlier, my son has become a symbol—a symbol against hate and people like you; a symbol for encouraging respect for individuality; for appreciating that someone is different; for tolerance. I miss my son, but I’m proud to be able to say that he is my son."

It's a powerful statement. And even more so when you think of the fact that it was said through the streaming tears of a grieving father. But is it true? Has good come out of the evil that killed Matt?

There's the Matthew Shepard Act that would classify crimes committed because of gender, sexual orientation and gender identity as hate crimes. It passed in the House of Representatives and Senate in 2007 but President Bush said he would veto it if came to his desk so it sits quietly now.

Bush and critics of the hate crime legislation believe it would give homosexuals special rights above the rest of the electorate.

My question to Mr. Bush is this: how many people do you know of have been killed because they were straight?

Since the world lost Matt, Aaron Webster was beaten to death with baseball bats for being gay. Nireah Johnson was shot and her body burned for being transgendered. PFC Barry Winchell was murdered by fellow soldiers for carrying on a relationship with a female transsexual. Lawrence King, a 15-year-old boy, was shot to death because he asked his schoolmate to be his Valentine.

And there's Jason Gage, Fred Martinez, Ryan Skipper, Sakia Gunn, Michael Sandy, Richie Phillips, Jeff Whittington, Amanda Milan, Aaron Hall, Sean Kennedy, Glenn Kopitske, Arthur Warren, Nizah Morris, Scotty Joe Weaver and partners Gary Matson and Winfield Mowder.

And these are only the people I know that have been killed since Matt died on October 12, 1998. They were killed for being gay, lesbian, bisexual or trangendered. They were killed for being different. They were killed because people didn't understand the way God had made them and instead of trying to understand, wanted them dead.

Now, in the past I haven't been what'd you call an "activist." I only came out to everyone about nine months ago and I'm just trying to figure everything out for myself.

But, my community is dying. We're dying because we're hated. And I know it's not happening in huge numbers and some may charge me with overreacting, but I need to know: where are our killers learning this? Where are they learning that killing someone is okay if they're different?

As a society, we need to take a larger look at ourselves. And I know it won't happen because I wrote a blog. I need to take some sort of action but I don't know what my next steps should be.

I pray that God - my God, the one that loves us all - will give me some guidance but I do intend on looking for some in family and friends as well.

Peace and love,

Dustin