Coalition‘s blog about the 10th anniversary of Matthew
Shepard’s death. Protecting youth, whether our own children or
others, should be our #1 priority. If we could get that straight,
we’d have far fewer troubles in the world. Read the first few
paragraphs of my guest post below:
“Becoming a parent changes everything. You see the world through
more than one set of eyes. I see the world through Tim’s eyes and
Tom’s eyes, my six-year-old twins. I see the perils of school yards
where young bullies loom. I see the perils of violence in the
media, encouraging aggression in our youth. I see a world confused
by a so-called “culture war” that divides us along what are
ultimately insignificant lines. And yet I also see unbounded
hope.
“I was twenty-eight when Matthew Shepard was killed; at the time it
seemed like my life couldn’t have been more different from his own,
but not because of anything special I had done. Having grown up in
a small town in Upstate New York, I was lucky enough to attend
Smith College, known for its acceptance of LGBT students, and then
to move to Boston where at least there was a vibrant, supportive
LGBT community, even if we, too, sometimes came under attack.
“I could have stayed in my small town. I could have happened upon
the wrong people at the wrong time. “