Antipode

The word antipode refers to things (usually in locational context of parts of the earth) that are diametrically oposed, or to people or things that are the exact oposite or contrary to.
Like the way, among other things, American Christians and conservatives view Muslims. Especially the way fundamentalist Christians and fundamentalist conservatives view fundamentalist Muslims. In their perception there is antipode. "We are Americans," the Americans say. "Muslims do terrible things like opress women, and gang rape them, then punish them for the crime of their own rape. They bury them in the ground and throw rocks at them until they are dead. They scream and protest in the streets and burn our flag. They kill each other. They opress and violently harass minorities. We are not like them. They are wrong, and we are right. They are terrorists, and we are good people." I can't tell you how many of these conversations I have had with passionately earnest individuals who are convinced we are nothing like those we vilify. (And of course, niether are most of the individuals being vilified, but that is a different post for a different time).

I would like to erase that antipode. There are many examples I can use, from the suffragist movement, to the civil rights movement, to the abuses at Abu Graib and Guantanamo Bay... but I chose one in particular because yesterday was the 13th aniversary of the event, and it deserves to be remembered.

Today's blog picture is of a fence outside of Laramie, Wyoming. 13 years ago a 21 year old young man, full of promise, was tied to this fence. He was beaten and left hanging through the frigid Wyoming night. By chance a passing cyclist found him. The young man was so disfigured that the cyclist, at first, mistook him for a scarecrow. The young man died in a Ft. Collins, Co hospital. His name was Matthew Shepard.
I am sure that the two young men pictured here, Aaron McKinney, and Russel Hederson, thought themselves good Americans... Maybe even Christians. Who knows what they were thinking when they

lured Matthew to that remote spot and robbed, pistol whipped, and tortured him? Certainly not that they were just as guilty of brutality as a gang of men throwing rocks at a defenseless woman? What were they thinking when they left the now severly brain damaged young man tied to a fence in the middle of nowhere? It was alright to do this... Matthew Shepard was gay. Tie the faggot to a fence and teach him a lesson about what is right and what is an abomination, it is, after all.. the American way.

This from The Matthew Shepard Foundation:
The story of Matthew Shepard began on December 1, 1976 when he was born to Judy and Dennis Shepard in Casper, Wyoming. He went to public school in Casper until his junior year of high school when he moved with his family to Saudi Arabia. Matt had to finish his high school education at The American School in Switzerland because there were no American high schools in Saudi Arabia at the time. In both high schools, he was elected by his peers to be a peer counselor. He was easy to talk to, made friends easily and actively fought for the acceptance of all people. Matt had a great passion for equality. His experiences abroad fueled his love for travel and gave him the chance to make many new friends from around the world. Matt's college career eventually took him back to Wyoming where he studied political science, foreign relations and languages at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.

Matthew's funeral was attended by family and friends... and the members of the Westboro Baptist Church. The people of this church, led by their pastor Fred Phelps, arrived at the cemetery with signs declaring that Matthew was burning in hell at that moment, and that God hates fags. Phelps justified his actions by saying that Matthew Shepard was breaking god's law by trolling for "strange flesh" at midnight in a bar. He was looking to have anonymous sex. Mr. Phelps fails to realize that they only reason why any gay person would have to seek to be anonymous is because of people like him... oh, and our lawmakers. Before 2003 homosexuals could be prosecuted and imprisoned under sodomy laws, and gay people could be discriminated against and even violently assaulted with impunity. It has only been since 2003 in the United States (land of the free and home of the brave) that same sex sexual activity has been legal in every state. It has only been since this year that gay soldiers risking their lives in the military could serve openly. There are still no federal laws protecting gender identity/expression from discrimination. Sexual orientation is not a protected category under federal law, and there has only been a law protecting LGBT individuals against hate crimes since 2009. The United States has traditionally been more anti-homosexual than the communist bloc ever were.

2012 GOP/Tea Party Presidential candidate, Michele Bachman, is still taken seriously and given a public platform even though she and her husband run a Christian counseling center whose primary focus is the 'rehabilitation' of homosexual people, and whose slogan is "pray away the gay." This is a person running for the leadership of our country.

And Matthew shepard is not the only one.In 1996 Jamie Nabozny was hospitalized after his school refused to address aggressive gay bashing by fellow student. 1999, 39 year old Billy Jack Gaither was beaten to death then burned on a stack of old tires by two men for being gay. In 2002, 17 year old Gwen Araujo, beaten and strangled to death by four men for being transgendered. In 2008, 15 year old Lawrence King, shot to death in his classroom for being gay. In 2009 11 year old Carl Hoover hanged himself after agressive bullying at his school because he was gay. 2010, Tyler Clementi killed himself after 'friends' posted a video of him in a gay sexual encounter on the internet.  In March of 2011 the FBI concluded an investigation of the New Orleans police department and found them guilty of profiling and discrimination against GLBT individuals.

In the six-year period between 1990 and 1996, the FBI recorded more than 25,000 gay bashing incidents in the U.S., but nothing was done that might have prevented the deaths of those mentioned above.

Nearly all (94%) of gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals report being victims of some kind of harassment.

Forty-four percent report having been threatened with physical violence. Nearly one in five report having been punched, hit, kicked, or beaten at least once in their lives because of their sexual orientation.

The most frequent sites of anti-gay incidents are schools and workplaces.


More than 22% of gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth skipped school because they felt unsafe, compared to 4.2% of their heterosexual peers. Forty-six percent of gay lesbian and bisexual youth attempted suicide compared with 8.8% of their heterosexual peers.

Twenty-six percent of adolescent gay males report having to leave home as a result of conflicts with their family over their sexual orientation. Forty-two percent of homeless youth self-identify as gay or lesbian.

So what is my point?

It is....

We are so quick to point the finger at percieved and real injustices perpetrated by those who are different than us. By the "other." We stand in righteous indignation, the liberators, the Americans... and close our eyes to our own attrocity. Whether you agree with their lifestyle, GLBT Americans are first and formost.. Americans. They are citizens of this country and entitled to the rights and privledges thereof, the formost of which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Every human being in this country has the right to protection from violence against their person, harrassment and obstruction in their workplace, and loss of dignity. There is no Antipode. Our acts of brutality are just as prolific and egregious. Before we take a stance against others let us first look at ourself. Let us address our own wrong doing, let our society truly reflect its ideals.

This is for Matthew.

And for Leo, wherever you are. I hope you have found happiness and peace. I love you.