It's been nearly 10 years

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10 years ago next month Matthew Shepard was killed, extremely brutally, on a fence in Wyoming. The world has changed greatly since that cold, dark night a decade ago. He wouldn't recognize the internet of today or an I phone. He also likely couldn't imagine the current President or the mess he has made of the country. But he surely would recognize a country that has no hate crime laws or ENDA. He would surely recognize a state that also has no hate crime laws or ENDA.

We are desperately trying to pass a hate crimes law in his name. Even if we overcome a filibuster in the Senate, very unlikely, we are faced with the near certain prospect of a Presidential veto which would likely be upheld. It is all but certain the tenth anniversary of Matthew's death will pass with neither a hate crime law nor ENDA as the law of the land.

Matthew would also, sadly, recognize some of the recent gay bashings in the news. Just a couple of nights ago, a temporary employee for the HRC was beaten outside a bar for the crime of being gay. Fortunately he is going to be physically fine. The same can't be said for some of the other victims. An elderly man in Detroit was killed after exitting a bus. A poster here at DU was beaten badly enough to warrent emergency treatment which he had to get on his own after Provincetown police refused to send him to a hospital. A singer in New York was stabbed. All because they were gay. Matthew would surely recognize this world.

Honestly many in the gay community felt Matthew's death would change things. His youth and good looks would put a human face on what often appeared to be an abstract group of people. His death would not be in vain. Sadly, that was not to be.

We are one President away from both that law and ENDA. I turn 40 this year. November of 2008 will be the first Presidential election I will vote for as a middle aged man. I will be casting my vote for Matthew, Andrew, Kevin, and the literally thousands of other gays who have been bashed. I will also cast this vote for myself. I was also bashed when I was in college. I don't have a candidate yet in the primaries. But I will be voting for the nominee in the general election. I want the 11th anniversary of Matthew's to be after the President signs a hate crime law and ENDA.

I hope in my dottering old age, to live in a world where no one is bashed for being gay, or black, or the wrong religion. Future generations deserve no less.

On edit ENDA is the employment non discrimination act which would prevent both gays and transgendered from being fired for simply being gay or transgendered.