News and Events => Opinions & Editorials => Topic started by: Natasha on October 05, 2008, 01:26:51 AM Return to Full Version

Title: It's time for the Shepard Act
Post by: Natasha on October 05, 2008, 01:26:51 AM
It's time for the Shepard Act

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=726468&category=OPINION (http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=726468&category=OPINION)
Steven Ralls
10/4/2008


It has been 10 years since openly gay college student Matthew Shepard was brutally killed in Wyoming. On Oct. 6, 1998, he was beaten and strung up on a fence. He died six days later.
   
Little has been done to curb such attacks, and elected leaders are largely missing in action when it comes to protecting our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender loved ones.

In the days and weeks immediately after Shepard's death, numerous elected leaders promised swift action to pass federal hate crimes legislation that would protect LGBT Americans.