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Beaten Up for Being Gay
Chris Hayhurst, 04.12.05
"This type of abuse impacts everyone, not just LGBT students." |
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In the night of October 6, 1998, a gay college student named Matthew Shepard stepped out of a bar and into the cool night air in Laramie, WY. He was led to a car by two men, and driven away. Matthew was found 18 hours later in an open field, tied to a fence and beaten beyond recognition. A passing motorist nearly mistook him for a scarecrow before stopping to call for help. Several days later, Matthew died from his injuries. He had been murdered simply because he was gay.
Matthew Shepard was not the first person to be killed because he was gay, nor was he the last. His murder was so particularly horrific that it forced the world to take notice.
Violence on the Rise
Today, years after Matthew Shepard's death, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people — including teens — continue to be attacked simply for being who they are. They're teased, physically beaten and abused, and shunned by those who dislike them just because of their sexual orientation.
A recent study by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) found that 39 percent of LGBT teens reported being physically harassed in school. Sixty-four percent said they felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation, and 29 percent said they'd skipped school for fear of being attacked. A full 84 percent of LGBT students said they had been verbally abused. Perhaps even more disturbing are the results of another study conducted by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP), which found that violence against LGBT people is on the rise.
How to Fight Back — Peacefully
Here are a few steps you can take to stop the spread of violence against LGBT people:
- Speak up. People often deal with problems by ignoring them. Unfortunately, that solves nothing. "Most people don't want to think about this stuff if they don't have to," says Clarence Patton, executive director of NCAVP. "It's hard." But, says Patton, it's not impossible. "Speak up. Talk to your friends and family about this. Tell them it's important to you. Tell them you need their support and help."
- Step up. Words like "faggot," "homo," and "dyke" may seem harmless, but they're not. Even when tossed around casually they can hurt. Likewise, physical bullying — whether in the halls or outside of school — is also serious. If you hear or see these things, don't just walk away. "This type of abuse impacts everyone, not just LGBT students," says GLSEN spokesperson Josh Lamont. "Be aware of it, and say something when you witness it." But be careful — if the situation seems dangerous, go to a teacher, school administrator, or other adult for help.
- Join up. Numerous groups have increased their efforts to put an end to anti-LGBT hatred. GLSEN, for example, sponsors the Day of Silence, a national event held on April 13 to protest bias and violence against LGBT people.
If the Day of Silence or similar protests are held at your school, join in. If not, get something going yourself. One option is to start a Gay-Straight Alliance. Such groups build strength within the local LGBT-friendly community. They can then encourage school administrators to develop strong policies against bullying and harassment of all kinds, including harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity. And that, says Patton, is a crucial step toward the ultimate goal of ending violence against LGBT people. "We need to look at the world we live in that allows this to occur," says Patton. "We have to create a community in which this type of violence is unacceptable." |
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