Podcasts about gay panic defense

You may know about the infamous "Gay Panic Defense". But did you know that it has been around since the mid 1800s? Today we look back at the very first Murder Trial in America where the Gay Panic Defense was used. Want to support the shows and get access to exclusive bonus Episodes? Become a member on our Patreon!- https://patreon.com/beerswithqueers?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Follow Us- Instagram-@beerswithqueerspod Facebook- Beers with Queers: A True Crime Podcast

The Gay Panic Defense is something we have mentioned quite a bit on this podcast, but what does it truly mean? Of course most people know it to mean arguing against being guilty of a murder because the victim was Queer, but it's a much more complex and frustrating concept. Dating back over 2 centuries, we go over all the nuances and types of the infamous "Gay Panic Defense" and discuss the very first case in which it was used here in America. Want exlcusive episodes and content? Become A Patron over on out Patreon!- https://patreon.com/beerswithqueers?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Follow Us- Instagram-@beerswithqueerspod Facebook-Beers with Queers: A True Crime Podcast

This week I collaborate with CJ from Beyond the Rainbow to cover the topic of "the gay panic defense," beginning with the murder of Scott Amedure - the first time "the gay panic defense" was used in court. If you, or someone you know may need resources, you can access them here: glaad.org/transgender/resourcesThe Trevor ProjectLGBTQ+ resourceswww.thetrevorproject.org/resources/Don't forget to checkout the new website!www.fthatpod.comIf you liked what you heard today, give the podcast a like, review, and subscribe.Follow F**k That on Facebook, TikTok and Twitter @fthatpodInstagram @fthat_podThank you to this week's sources:Trial by Media: The Truth Behind the CrimesNetflix Graves v.Warner Bros253 Mich. App. 486 (Mich. Ct. App. 2002) Lieberman v.FiegerUnited States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit Aug 11, 2003 People v.Schmitz 231Mich.App. 521,586 N.W.2d 766 LGBTQ+ BarLGBTQ+ Panic Defenselgbtqbar.org/programs/advocacy/gay-trans-panic-defense/ WikipediaGay Panic Defensehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_panic_defenseThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5741034/advertisement

On October 8, 1998, a 21-year-old college student was picked up from a gay bar, tortured, and murdered because of his sexuality in a state that had no hate crime laws to protect him. More than twenty years later, we continue to remember his life and legacy.In this episode, we discuss the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard, the United States' reaction, and the impact this tragic event had in bringing about stricter hate crime legislation.Additional Resources:Matthew ShepardMatthew Shepard, Victim of Anti-Gay Hate Crime, DiesMatthew Shepard: The Murder that Changed AmericaWitnesses Trace Brutal Killing of Gay StudentBeaten Gay Student Dies; Murder Charges PlannedMcKinney Gets Two Life SentencesGay Murder Trial Ends With Guilty PleaTwo Decades After Matthew Shepard's Death, LGBTQ Community Still Battles Hate ViolencePresident Clinton During Departure Statement (1998) (Matthew Shepard)Celebrity Vigil For Matthew ShepardThe Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act / Matthew Shepard ActMatthewsPlace.com

Halloween night 1958, in Charleston, South Carolina, Jack Dobbins would meet a young man by the name of John Mahon at a night club for the LGBTQ+ community that the straight community would also frequent. After what would appear to be a night of fun and flirting, Jack and John would wind up at Jack's home on the prominent Rainbow Row. The night would end in with the atrocious murder of Jack with a brass candle stick and John would be put on trial for Jack's murder.The trial would begin for Jack's murder, but would justice really be served? John would have the community prejudice against the gay community on his side that would lead to an acquittal. Listen to Sam tell the baffling story of a murder that shook the gay community in Charleston. Is this a case of self-defense, a robbery or could it have been “gay panic”? We know this is a little late, but Happy Pride Month and always remember to be yourself, because we will love you no matter who you choose to be!Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/755467142466635/ Instagram: @ColacitycrimeEmail us your listener stories and case suggestions: Colacitycrime@gmail.comCheck out our collab with Crime Labs on their Youtube channel and TikTok!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOZ1FRAOGm1VnzI8ow_XGcw/videos

DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this episode has been researched from articles on the internet. ALSO, my opinions on this episode reflect what I believe, and therefore if you are offended by what my opinions are then you are more than welcome to skip this episode. THANK YOU! In today's episode, Donna brings a bit of awareness to the Gay Panic Defense Strategy still being used in Texas to this day. If you would like to support and donate to the LGBTQ+ community, you can do so by going to: equalitytexas.org Email: texocity.210culture@gmail.com Instagram: texocity_ Below are the links where I found my information: https://www.stedwards.edu/post/news-releases/st-edwards-university-researcher-analyzes-99-gaytrans-panic-defense-cases https://apnews.com/article/39b2034e2a22e92ea6d8ce43147b6203 https://www.equalitytexas.org/eliminate-gay-trans-panic-defense-no-excuse-for-violence/ https://www.vanityfair.com/news/1995/02/texas-murder-199502 https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/alleged-gay-panic-defense-texas-murder-trial-stuns-advocates-n870571 https://theconversation.com/i-track-murder-cases-that-use-the-gay-panic-defense-a-controversial-practice-banned-in-9-states-129973

Happy Pride Month! The month of June (and every month!) is a great time to celebrate the beauty of the LGBTQPIA+ community. In this week's episode, Alyssa notes that while we certainly have come a long way in gaining rights for the LGBTQPIA+ community, there is still very far to go in terms of achieving true equality. For example, many of our states still recognize the lethal "Gay Panic Defense". Alyssa also includes a personal note on her own experience with coming out for the first time this year.    Source Material: https://people.com/human-interest/pride-month-explained-pride-month-facts/   https://lgbtqbar.org/programs/advocacy/gay-trans-panic-defense/  Donate to the Human Rights Campaign Donate to The Trevor Project Donate to the National Center for Transgender Equality   Check out the Light After Trauma website for transcripts, other episodes, Alyssa's guest appearances, and more at: www.lightaftertrauma.com Want to get more great content and interact with the show? Check us out on Instagram: @lightaftertrauma We need your help! We want to continue to make great content that can help countless trauma warriors on their journey to recovery. So, please help us in supporting the podcast by becoming a recurring patron of the show via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lightaftertrauma   Transcript: Alyssa Scolari [00:24]: Everybody, welcome back to another episode of the Light After Trauma podcast. I'm your host Alyssa Scolari. Super excited to be here because it is Pride Month. And that is exactly what we are talking about. This episode, we are talking about Pride. We are talking about the importance of Pride, and we are talking about why we need to continue to advocate for the LGBTQ community. I'm really, actually, a little bit anxious about today's episode, because I am going to be talking about things that I have never spoken about before. And so I'm a little bit nervous as we get into it, but we are just going to dive right in. Although before we do that, just some housekeeping stuff. So if you have not done so already, please leave a review for the podcast. Reviews, ratings go such a long way in terms of helping the podcast to reach a greater audience. And I really feel strongly that everybody deserves some kind of access to free mental health education, information, and support. Alyssa Scolari [01:43]: So the more reviews and ratings we have, the greater access people can have to this podcast. And it would mean the world to me. So if you have not done so already, please do so. I would greatly appreciate it. Also, if you are interested in becoming a Patreon member, you can check out the show notes where you can just click right on the link and you can donate as little or as much as you would like to the podcast. You can become a monthly Patreon member, or you could just do a one time donation, anything would be greatly appreciated. And all of the money that you donate goes directly in to helping fund the podcast and helping to keep the machine going, essentially. It costs roughly anywhere from $800-$900 a month to fund this podcast, between all of the software that we have to pay for and the editing. That is what it costs. So, again, this is not me complaining about the price. I am really fortunate enough to be in a place where I can do this, but if you are able and willing to give any amount would be greatly appreciated. Alyssa Scolari [03:04]: I hope everyone is off to a grand old week. I am doing pretty good, had a good day today. It's kind of late when I'm recording this, it's about 9:30 at night, which is pretty late for me to be doing any sort of work. But I had a burst of energy and I felt like I had a lot to say. And I was like, "I'm just a little anxious about this discussion today. You know what, we're doing it." So I made myself a cup of hot tea and here we are chatting today. So I think that as I get into this conversation, people are going to have one of two thoughts. And I think the first thought people might have is, "Why are we talking about Pride and the LGBTQ+ community on a trauma focused podcast?" And the second question people might have is, "This podcast has been going on for almost two years and I've not heard anything like this. We've never talked about this on this podcast before. Why now? Why now?" Alyssa Scolari [04:22]: And I'm going to answer that question, but first we're going to answer the question of why is this topic on a trauma focused podcast? Truthfully, I don't know the background that you come from wherever you're listening from. I don't know. I do know this though. Some people think, they have this thought of like, "Oh, okay, it's 2022 and all LGBTQ+ people are accepted and there's no need for any of this Pride or anything like that." And then other people, I think, live in environments and communities where it's in their face every single day, just how far we still have to go in terms of getting equality for this community. Now I want to address the people who might feel like we do have equality because unfortunately we just don't. Things are becoming maybe a little bit better, although in some ways I absolutely question even that. It feels like we are going back decades. Alyssa Scolari [05:40]: I know that we're a little bit better in terms of representation, but we're still not there. Growing up, how likely are we to see, when we watch movies we see straight families. When we read books, it's about straight families. Everybody identifies as either male or female. The male and the female get together. They get married, they have children, they usually have one boy, one girl. Anytime we so much as maybe pick out Christmas cards and we're looking at stock images online and we see the same kind of family members in stock images. We see a man, we see a woman that we presume are the husband and the wife and then we see their very straight children. Non-gender, queer, male, female. What have you? It is so rare for any of us, even today to pick a movie out and have it be a movie where there are two dads or a movie where there are two moms or a movie where a child is transgender. Alyssa Scolari [06:57]: It's so rare to go on the internet and search family photos and see families that look any different than a man and a woman and their children. We still have churches who are vehemently against the LGBTQ community. I actually, today, saw an image surface as a reaction to Pride Month. Somebody who doesn't believe that LGBTQ folks should have rights, drew this photo and it's a response to the Pride rainbow flag. The rainbow that is the symbol of Pride and the symbol of LGBTQ folks. Somebody actually drew a picture of a man and a woman. Alyssa Scolari [07:47]: And in between the man and the woman, they're holding hands with their two kids. They're little stick figures and they're holding an umbrella and they're shielding themselves and their children from basically a rainbow flag, rain that looks like it's coming down. All that image is to say, "We don't believe in this. We don't respect these people. And we are going to do everything in our power to shield ourselves and our children from the LGBTQ community." It is still so dangerous out there for folks who identify as LGBTQPIA+. Homophobia and transphobia and the like have dated back for centuries and part of the reason, well, the main reason that we have Pride Month is because of what happened in the Stonewall Uprising. So for those of you who don't know, the date was June 28th, 1969 in New York City's West Village. Alyssa Scolari [09:01]: The police raided a very popular gay bar that was called the Stonewall Inn. Now this was super normal for the time. This was super normal. Police did raid gay bars and gay facilities and they got arrested and this time the patrons of the Stonewall Inn fought back. And what this started was a series of riots that went on for days of people protesting these riots, from people that were saying, "I deserve to have my rights. I deserve to be seen and heard. I deserve to have equality. And I matter." This was historic. And in fact, President Barack Obama in 2016, declared the Stonewall Inn a historic landmark, which is so cool because these Stonewall Riots were historic and they paved the way for people in the LGBTQ community to achieve their equality. Alyssa Scolari [10:11]: And then the year after the uprising was when the first Pride parade began and it was in June so that is where the tradition of Pride comes from. So it is so much more than just people getting together and saying, "Oh, Hey, we like the month of June." No, this is a yearly celebration. It's a yearly remembrance. It is an honor for the people who fought for LGBTQ community members to have their rights. So nearly 10 years after that was when the Pride flag was first created and it was created by a man named Gilbert Baker. And Gilbert was asked to create a symbol of Pride by a man whose name is Harvey Milk. Now Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected politician in the United States. So he asked Gilbert to create a flag that symbolized Pride and we have the rainbow flag. Now the rainbow flag actually started out with a few more colors and then had less colors. Today, each of the colors stands for something very specific. Alyssa Scolari [11:23]: So according to a People article, red is the symbol of life. Orange is the symbol for healing. Yellow is symbolic for sunshine. Green is symbolic for nature. The blue is representative of harmony and the purple is representative of spirit. I believe the original flag was eight colors, but it is now six. As far as we've come, though, we still have so much further to go. I want to talk to you about something called the gay panic defense, and this is going to help you really get an understanding for just how far we have to go in terms of equality and just basic human rights for LGBTQ folks. So what is the panic defense, the LGBTQ panic defense or the gay panic defense? It is a freaking legal strategy and get ready because if you haven't heard of this is going to knock your fucking socks off. The gay panic defense is a legal strategy. Alyssa Scolari [12:43]: So basically what that strategy does is it asks a jury to take into account a victim's sexual orientation or their gender identity and take into account that their orientation or their identity is to blame for a defendant's violent reaction. Victim blaming much? And yes, you heard me correctly. Basically, gay panic is a legal strategy that is asking the jury to consider the fact that somebody being gay or somebody being transgender or non-binary is the reason and a good enough reason why somebody may have attacked them in a hate crime. It's basically like the offender is saying that they went like temporarily insane. They had a gay panic or a trans-panic that caused them to violently attack the victim. Tell me that's not abso-fucking-lutely insane. Alyssa Scolari [13:57]: And what's even more fucking insane is that this gay panic defense actually fucking works. It works. It has been used to get people off in the courts. People can attack people simply because they are lesbian or gay or transgender. They can then show up in court and they can say that they panicked because of somebody's gayness or because somebody's transgender and the jury can go, "Oh, okay. That sounds reasonable. You're off the hook because you had a gay panic." It makes my blood boil. It makes my blood boil. And the worst part about it is that the gay panic defense is only banned in 17 states in the United States. Meaning the rest of the country's, or I'm sorry, the rest of the states in the United States of America, if they aren't considering passing the gay panic defense, they've already passed it. The majority of the states in this country are perfectly fine with the gay panic defense. And that right there goes to show you why we need Pride Month and why we are talking about this on a trauma focused podcast. Alyssa Scolari [15:22]: Because people in the LGBTQ community are being murdered, are being targeted, are being killed simply because of who they are and our laws are basically saying that it's okay. According to lgbtqbar.org, in 2019 alone, there were 1,656 hate crimes. And this is just what we know of because there are so many more that go unreported. But just in 2019, there were 1,656 hate crimes against people for either their sexual orientation or their gender identity. And this statistic makes up 18.8% of hate crime incidents, like single bias hate crime incidents. According to research, also from lgbtqbar.org, one out of five lesbian, gay and bisexual people in the United States will experience a hate crime in their lifetime. And more than one out of four transgender people will. We know that transgender people are targeted and they're even more likely to be targeted if they are part of a non-white race. And I got to say, lately, it just feels like things are getting worse for the LGBTQ community and we need Pride more than ever. Alyssa Scolari [16:51]: I mean, look at what's happening in Florida with the 'Don't Say Gay' bill. And in Texas, where it is now considered a social services call to have a child seek transgender affirming care. It is just an absolute nightmare. And with greater and greater access to what's going on in the world through social media, kids are bearing witness to all of this and it is very clear to so many kids that it is still not safe for them to be who they are. We need Pride because there are kids and adults out there who would rather take their own lives than be out and proud about who they are because of the hate that exists and I see it every day in my practice. I see it. It is absolutely heartbreaking. There is little to no representation in schools. Teachers will get reprimanded if they say anything about it because it's considered a taboo topic, which it absolutely shouldn't be. Alyssa Scolari [18:05]: And overall, kids just feel so isolated, growing up feeling like there is nobody who represents them, feeling like it's not okay to be a part of the LGBTQ community and it is devastating. So we need Pride more than ever. And now I think to address the second question that I talked about in the beginning of this episode. The question being, why have I waited two years to talk about this? In August, the podcast will have been alive for two years, which boggles my mind to even say, and I haven't talked about this. And trust me, it's not because I don't care and it's not because it's low on my priority list. Anybody who knows me knows that the LGBTQ community is actually top priority for me. But what I'm going to say is this, and this is going to come with a warning. So if you are listening to this and you know me personally, I would think very carefully about how much you want to know about me, because I'm going to share some stuff. Alyssa Scolari [19:35]: So think about it. Feel free to hit pause and talk to me about it, because I know I have a lot of wonderful people in my life who listen to the podcast who know me personally, and you're going to learn some stuff. All right, there is your fair warning. If you are continuing to listen to this and you know me personally, you better come talk to me about this. So anyway, part of, I think, the reason why I haven't talked about this yet is you are going to notice a pattern with me, not really a pattern, but I only talk about things as I'm ready to talk about them. I bring to this podcast a level of vulnerability mixed in with my expertise and that vulnerability is really hard for me. And I have to be comfortable sharing, I have to be comfortable. And I haven't been comfortable because I have been grappling with basically where I fall in terms of the LGBTQ community. Alyssa Scolari [20:50]: Because quite honestly, I can't deny that I'm part of it. And I think it's taken me a long time to get to a place where I've been comfortable talking about it. And so I knew that one day I would share this, but I needed to give myself time to be ready and to feel comfortable and safe and secure. I grew up in this really small conservative Catholic town. Where it is so not that okay to be gay and looking back on the way I grew up, I would've never in a million years have admitted or even given myself the opportunity to explore the fact that I might be anything other than a straight, blonde girl, who's going to find a dark, tall, handsome husband and live happily ever after. I really didn't get to explore the different parts of me until I left my hometown. Alyssa Scolari [22:14]: And then I really got to reflect back on my childhood and as I did so, it really hit me that I am so not straight, so not straight. I definitely was interested in both women and men my whole life. I remember being a kid and being interested in women, but kind of writing it off and just ignoring that part of me because in my brain it was only okay to be attracted to men. And so looking back on it, I'm like, "Oh man, I was not straight. I liked women and I liked men." I was absolutely bisexual. And I remember being in high school and playing around a little bit with my gender. There was a time in high school, I think I was a sophomore. And I went to school dressing masculine and I changed my name. Alyssa Scolari [23:31]: And people were calling me Sam and I think I was definitely experimenting at the time. I remember it being like a joke with my friends and my friends were all calling me that. And I was just pretending to be a guy, whatever that means. I was acting more masculine, listen, it didn't last long. It maybe lasted a week before I was like, "Okay, this isn't me." But looking back on it that actually wasn't a joke. I was definitely experimenting with my gender. And I think that after that, I became pretty firm in my identity as a woman, with pronouns that feel comfortable to me, which are she and her, but I was still super unclear about my sexual preference. And looking back, I did some really questionable things in my childhood and my teenage years and my young adult years that I could look back on it now. Alyssa Scolari [24:41]: And I'm like, "Yeah, I don't know how nobody saw that one." Maybe people did. I don't know. I really don't know. I don't think so. But I just think it's so funny to look back on and like, "Man, there was no part of me that was a straight woman. I definitely swung both ways and I'm okay with it. I'm okay talking about it." That's the other thing we have to talk about. [inaudible 00:25:10] I'll touch on when it comes to bisexuality. Yes, I married a man. So me coming on here and talking about my preferences and who I'm attracted to doesn't make me any less in love with my husband. My husband is the person I am a 100% committed to, 110%. There's never a question of that. So I think that a lot of people have this idea in their heads that, "Oh, you know, you're already married, but then you're coming out as bisexual. Well, what does that mean? Does that mean that you don't want to be with your partner?" Alyssa Scolari [25:45]: None of that is true. Just because you find somebody and you get married doesn't mean that your sexual preference changes. I was bisexual before I got married. I just didn't know it and I'm still the same way. But the person that I choose to spend my life with is my husband. Doesn't mean that my sexual preferences or that who I'm attracted to has to change because I've gotten married. Just because you marry somebody doesn't mean you stop finding people attractive. No, that's not the case at all. So all that's to say, people who come out a little bit later in life as being bisexual after they're married or whatever, it doesn't mean anything about their marriage. Alyssa Scolari [26:37]: It doesn't mean anything at all. People who are bisexual, if they want to get married, well, chances are they're either going to marry a man or a woman or a non-binary person. But just because they marry a non-binary person doesn't mean all of a sudden they're no longer attracted to women. Just because they marry a non-binary person doesn't mean that they're no longer attracted to men. So I hope that makes sense. It has absolutely nothing to do with my marriage. David is the best thing that ever happened to me. I think that the importance of this kind of coming out for me is about claiming or reclaiming who I was when I didn't get the opportunity to be that person. I didn't get the opportunity to come to terms with that when I was younger, but I get to come to terms with it now. And it's really exciting and anxiety provoking. And it just feels like I'm letting the inner child in me have the freedom to label herself however she wants for the first time. And that is a beautiful thing. And that is part of why Pride matters. Alyssa Scolari [28:09]: That is part of why we fight to have equal rights. That is part of why we fight to be seen and heard and respected. So that's why it's taken me a little while to talk about this. I do things at my own paces. I have a lot of respect for myself and my process. And that is why it is not because I haven't cared or acknowledged it. Again, the people who are closest to me know how passionate I am and have always been about the LGBTQ community. And now I understand why, now I understand why. So, with that being said, what can we do? We know that people in the LGBTQ community are experiencing trauma and being denied their rights every single day, still we've come a long way. We have a lot further to go. I just encourage you to get involved and I don't know what that means for you. Maybe that looks like further education and research on this community. Maybe that looks like attending town halls. Alyssa Scolari [29:24]: Maybe that looks like attending parades or marches. Maybe that looks like donating. If you are able to donate, there are some amazing organizations that you can contribute to and they include the Human Rights Campaign, The Trevor Project and the National Center for Trans Equality, just to name a few. I will link those three in the show notes and I am also going to link the two articles that I used in today's episode. You can find all of that in the show notes. I hope that you enjoy today's episode. It was a tough one for me. It's hard to be this vulnerable. I thank you for listening. I thank you for being here. I hope you have a fantastic week and I am holding you in the light. Speaker 2 [30:17]: Thanks for listening everyone. For more information, please head over to lightaftertrauma.com or you can also follow us on social media. On Instagram, we are @lightaftertrauma, and on Twitter it is @lightafterpod. Lastly, please head over to patreon.com/lightaftertrauma. To support our show, we are asking for $5 a month, which is the equivalent to a cup of coffee at Starbucks. So please head on over. Again, that's patreon.com/lightaftertrauma. Thank you and we appreciate your support.

Throughout June, Charlotte and Rae will be covering LGBTQ+ cases and topics. In this week's episode, Rae and Charlotte cover the history of The Gay Panic Defense. They discuss the history of the defense around the world and the stain it has left on justice systems world wide. Strap in!SOURCESThe ConversationWikipediaAmerican BarWilliams InstituteLGBTQ BarTW: Listener discretion is advised.Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe on all your favorite podcast listening platforms!Have a personal connection to a true crime story, conspiracy theory or paranormal encounter that you'd like to share with us? Send us an email at themidnightrecord@gmail.com.MERCH STOREPATREONInstagram: @themidnightrecordTikTok: @themidnightrecordTwitter: @TMRPodRae IGRae TikTokCharlotte IGCharlotte TikTokMusic by: Nathanael McClure

Get Your Mini Drone: http://www.flyminidrone.com In this video I discuss a case where a former VA Tech Athlete was acquitted based on a ridiculous defense https://linktr.ee/ActualJustice Instagram NEW: https://www.instagram.com/actualjustice/ Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/actualjusticewarrior Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/ActualJusticeWarrior 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ajw2dreamscometrue TeeSpring Store: https://teespring.com/stores/actualjusticewarrior Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/iamsean90 Parler: https://parler.com/profile/Actualjusticewarrior/posts https://www.minds.com/actualjusticewarrior Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SeanFitzgerald Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/Iamsean90 Venmo: https://venmo.com/iamsean90 Support me on Subscribe Star: https://www.subscribestar.com/seanfitzgerald Gab: https://gab.com/Iamsean90 Twitter https://twitter.com/iamsean90 Backup Twitter https://twitter.com/AJWSean Bitchute: https://www.bitchute.com/actualjusticewarrior/ Discord: https://discord.gg/c7PGFFp 3rd: https://www.youtube.com/user/DudeMonkeyHQ Get Storable Food: https://www.preparewithajw.com Get Pocketnet: https://pocketnet.app/actualjusticewarrior?report=following&ref=PST4P2KEweDQJ2RAtG3scUmXAgPJJ5JJRL Sources: Local News Segment: https://youtu.be/Clt2NbrNYYU Breakdown Of The Case: https://roanoke.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/former-virginia-tech-football-player-isimemen-etute-found-not-guilty-in-beating-death-of-blacksburg/article_6c4b1fc6-ddf0-11ec-8abc-4f1834bc5978.html Other News Article: https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/former-virginia-tech-lb-isimemen-etute-found-not-guilty-on-murder-charges-in-death-of-blacksburg-man/ #VATech #NotGuilty #IamSean90 FAIR USE NOTICE This video may contain copyrighted material; the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available for the purposes of criticism, comment, review and news reporting which constitute the 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. Not withstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work for purposes such as criticism, comment, review and news reporting is not an infringement of copyright.

In a world where gay men already experience increased economic, emotional, and societal hardships, we are disproportionately affected by violent crimes and can be blamed for them because of our sexual orientation.  In today's episode, we're discussing the basis of the gay panic defense and learning how we can take action to end this discriminatory legal strategy.Additional Resources:The Gay/Trans Panic Defense: What It is, and How to End ItLGBTQ+ "Panic" DefenseStudy Finds LGBTQ People Much Likelier to Be Crime VictimsHow to Contact Your Elected Officials

I ponder on the insensitive public response of Kevin Samuels' passing, the rapper Kidd Creole of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five fatally stabbing a homeless man, and much more on this episode of God Built This Podcast. Support this podcast by becoming a patron at Patreon.com/godbuiltthis where you gain access to EXCLUSIVE content. Thank you for your support! Follow God Built This Podcast on Instagram at @godbuiltthispod. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/god-built-this-podcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/god-built-this-podcast/support

Welcome back, to That's On Point! Your weekly test of the Emergency Podcast System. Here is a clip from the last podcast. Today we discuss New Hampshire moving to Outlaw the Gay Panic Defense.Website - https://www.thatsonpoint.info Follow Us On;Bitchute-https://www.bitchute.com/channel/8SXcz1rqDyu7/YouTube-https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRNHroldv9kuaatarS7uclAMinds-https://www.minds.com/thatsonpoint/ToP Clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn_fZ4JhHN05YLijsdmkYSQ/Paler:https://parler.com/profile/DocComeauSupport Us On;Subscribe Star-https://www.subscribestar.com/that-s-on-pointPatreon-https://www.patreon.com/ThatsOnPoint?fan_landing=tru

Welcome back, to Doc's Thought of the Day. Today Doc discusses New Hampshire attempting to outlaw the most retarded defense in human existance.Website - https://www.thatsonpoint.infoFollow Us On;Bitchute-https://www.bitchute.com/channel/8SXcz1rqDyu7/YouTube-https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRNHroldv9kuaatarS7uclAMinds-https://www.minds.com/thatsonpoint/ToP Clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn_fZ4JhHN05YLijsdmkYSQ/Paler:https://parler.com/profile/DocComeauSupport Us On;Subscribe Star-https://www.subscribestar.com/that-s-on-pointPatreon-https://www.patreon.com/ThatsOnPoint?fan_landing=tru

Welcome back, to Doc's Thought of the Day. Today Doc discusses New Hampshire attempting to outlaw the most retarded defense in human existance.Website - https://www.thatsonpoint.infoFollow Us On;Bitchute-https://www.bitchute.com/channel/8SXcz1rqDyu7/YouTube-https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRNHroldv9kuaatarS7uclAMinds-https://www.minds.com/thatsonpoint/ToP Clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn_fZ4JhHN05YLijsdmkYSQ/Paler:https://parler.com/profile/DocComeauSupport Us On;Subscribe Star-https://www.subscribestar.com/that-s-on-pointPatreon-https://www.patreon.com/ThatsOnPoint?fan_landing=tru

Happy Pride Month y'all! In this episode, Jordan creates chaos by introducing her boomer coworkers to WAP, and the girls figure out if they've met their sass match in Jordan's 6-year-old cousin. Then the girls dive into the Gay Panic Defense - which is a legal defense that blames the victims sexual or gender orientation for the crimes committed against them by the defendent. If you want to put an end to the use of the “Gay Panic Defense”, call your state and federal representatives. To find out who that is use this link: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials/

La defensa contra el pánico gay, es definida como una estrategia legal que le pide a un jurado que determine que la orientación sexual o identidad de género de la víctima es la culpable de la reacción violenta del acusado, incluido el asesinato.En los Estados Unidos, la comunidad LGBTQ + representa el 3,5% de la población total, pero está muy sobrerrepresentada en las estadísticas de delitos de odio....fuentes:https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/11/28/courts-in-39-american-states-still-admit-the-gay-panic-defence?fbclid=IwAR3Dl94cxKxecOFTJWw-ISZM6S2Sy6DxyHuJolnm8RNpaelW6UAgq4N-hbchttps://apps.statesman.com/homicides/victim/daniel-spencer/https://www.statesman.com/NEWS/20180423/Jury-weighs-murder-charge-in-Austin-stabbing-death-of-Daniel-Spencerhttps://www.statesman.com/news/20160904/police-murder-suspect-admits-stabbing-victim-at-east-austin-apartment?_ga=2.92056346.1488254320.1622568846-127162483.1622568846https://theconversation.com/i-track-murder-cases-that-use-the-gay-panic-defense-a-controversial-practice-banned-in-9-states-129973https://lgbtbar.org/programs/advocacy/gay-trans-panic-defense/https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-victim-of-an-anti-gay-assault-dieshttps://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-end-of-the-gay-panic-legal-defensehttps://jenb-writing.medium.com/the-truth-behind-david-kammerers-murder-ea628152ae47https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/virginia-becomes-12th-state-ban-gay-trans-panic-defense-n1262933https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_panic_defensehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angie_Zapatahttps://www.westword.com/news/who-was-angie-zapata-her-murderers-trial-didnt-tell-the-whole-story-5103955https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/20/nyregion/man-sentenced-to-12-years-in-beating-death-of-transgender-woman.htmlhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/04/04/the-islan-nettles-killing-what-the-trial-means-to-a-transgender-community-anxious-for-a-reckoning/https://www.huffpost.com/topic/islan-nettleshttps://www.vice.com/en/article/3dx3d8/man-accused-of-killing-trans-woman-says-he-was-tricked-by-a-transgenderhttps://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2015/03/04/suspect-indicted-beating-death-ny-trans-woman-islan-nettleshttps://www.advocate.com/transgender/2016/4/05/james-dixon-pleads-guilty-death-black-trans-woman-islan-nettleshttps://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20171102/tribeca/students-with-disabilities-support-services-nyc-schoolshttps://lgbtbar.org/programs/advocacy/gay-trans-panic-defense/ Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

La defensa contra el pánico gay, es definida como una estrategia legal que le pide a un jurado que determine que la orientación sexual o identidad de género de la víctima es la culpable de la reacción violenta del acusado, incluido el asesinato.En los Estados Unidos, la comunidad LGBTQ + representa el 3,5% de la población total, pero está muy sobrerrepresentada en las estadísticas de delitos de odio. . . . fuentes: https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/11/28/courts-in-39-american-states-still-admit-the-gay-panic-defence?fbclid=IwAR3Dl94cxKxecOFTJWw-ISZM6S2Sy6DxyHuJolnm8RNpaelW6UAgq4N-hbc https://apps.statesman.com/homicides/victim/daniel-spencer/ https://www.statesman.com/NEWS/20180423/Jury-weighs-murder-charge-in-Austin-stabbing-death-of-Daniel-Spencer https://www.statesman.com/news/20160904/police-murder-suspect-admits-stabbing-victim-at-east-austin-apartment?_ga=2.92056346.1488254320.1622568846-127162483.1622568846 https://theconversation.com/i-track-murder-cases-that-use-the-gay-panic-defense-a-controversial-practice-banned-in-9-states-129973 https://lgbtbar.org/programs/advocacy/gay-trans-panic-defense/ https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-victim-of-an-anti-gay-assault-dies https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-end-of-the-gay-panic-legal-defense https://jenb-writing.medium.com/the-truth-behind-david-kammerers-murder-ea628152ae47 https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/virginia-becomes-12th-state-ban-gay-trans-panic-defense-n1262933 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_panic_defense https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angie_Zapata https://www.westword.com/news/who-was-angie-zapata-her-murderers-trial-didnt-tell-the-whole-story-5103955 https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/20/nyregion/man-sentenced-to-12-years-in-beating-death-of-transgender-woman.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/04/04/the-islan-nettles-killing-what-the-trial-means-to-a-transgender-community-anxious-for-a-reckoning/ https://www.huffpost.com/topic/islan-nettles https://www.vice.com/en/article/3dx3d8/man-accused-of-killing-trans-woman-says-he-was-tricked-by-a-transgender https://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2015/03/04/suspect-indicted-beating-death-ny-trans-woman-islan-nettles https://www.advocate.com/transgender/2016/4/05/james-dixon-pleads-guilty-death-black-trans-woman-islan-nettles https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20171102/tribeca/students-with-disabilities-support-services-nyc-schools https://lgbtbar.org/programs/advocacy/gay-trans-panic-defense/ Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Remember when Mathew Sheppard was murdered and the accused men’s legal teams attempted to advance the “gay panic” theory on their client’s behalf? They claimed that Shepard had made an advance on their client and triggered a violent response – one that drew on traumatic youthful homosexual experiences as well as the influence of drugs […]

Join myself, DJ CrayCJayC John, and Thom the Elderberry as we discuss many things thru the week such as Trans Athlete bans, Vermont's new Gay Panic Defense ban and much more. Download and listen to find out more.   Life is too serious to be taken seriously.

Meet Alexus D’Marco, a human rights defender and a self-identified transwoman living in the Bahamas. She has a love for helping others through her advocacy work in the Caribbean region for marginalized groups like the LGBTI community. In this episode, Alexus shares her gender identity journey that started as a child and how she navigated it to find her true self. She talks about the discrimination challenges that trans people in the Caribbean region are still facing today. Listen in to learn why trans and intersex people need to be recognized and afforded their basic human rights. Episode Timeline: [0:52] Get to know Alexus and her passion for human rights defending. [1:43] She talks about her self-identity journey and the challenges she faced with family and society. [4:17] The difference between sexual orientation and gender identity. [6:27] How trans people are discriminated against within the LGBTI community and how that’s changing in the Bahamas. [7:53] Alexus struggles as a conflicted teenager and how she navigated that to become a better adult. [10:04] Why she decided to advocate for the human rights of other trans and intersex people in the Caribbean region. [12:18] The importance of social justice to protect the LGBTI people against the Gay Panic Defense. [14:15] The progress they’re making towards gender identity recognition in the Bahamas. [15:07] The discrimination that trans people go through at the workplace, which leads them to still live below the poverty line. [16:03] Alexus’ goals of seeing trans people being recognized without discrimination. Relevant Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexus-d-marco-809303102/

Virginia lawmakers passed a bill that will ban the use of a person’s perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity as a defense in court for the assault or murder of an LGBTQ person. “It’s done: We’re banning the gay/trans panic defense in Virginia,” Del. Danica Roem, D-Manassas, said in a Twitter post. Roem introduced House Bill 2132, which passed the Senate 23-15 on Thursday with an amendment. The House approved the amendment in a 58-39 vote. The bill now heads to Gov. Ralph Northam’s desk for a signature. The Senate amendment adds oral solicitation, or hitting on someone,...Article LinkSupport the show (http://henricocitizen.com/contribute)

Hello Closeteers! This episode was filmed in December, back when Trump was president. This week, we're joined by Julie Goldman and Brandy Howard, hosts of the Dumb Gay Politics podcast (@Dumbgaypolitics). We get a little dumb, very gay, and kind of political. How fitting! We also go back in time, and hear about how Julie and Brandy first met, The Big Gay Sketch Show, and have real kiki. This is such a fun episode, and we can't wait for you all to hear it. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, join our Patreon, and rate and subscribe on apple podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week join your Theybies in a rather disheartening episode. Zac dives deep into an unbelievable legal tactic that lawyers use to help their clients case. The heart wrenching stories of Daniel Spencer, Islan Nettles, and Larry King; really make it obvious how most of the country works in favor of men. But also the psychology of how some men are so fragile and carry these toxic traits to want to harm the LGBTQ+ community. You don't want to miss out on this one Support our Spotlight Foundation @ www.donate.glaad.orgSupport your Theybies @ www.TheWhisperPodcast.com/Donate

Meet Paris-based journalist Leah Gillis and New Jersey legal eagle Elura Nanos, college friends who talk current events and life girlfriend-style. Join them to hang, learn, and catch up on their lives an ocean apart. On Instagram: @aleahthing @elurananos @youguysthepodcast (All times are estimates) :30 -  We're going to start you out with a Terrible News Update from journalists in Zimbabwe to federal judges in New Jersey, there's a lot of awful in the news this week. Plus, John Lewis died. Ugh. ‪3:30 John Lewis and Elijah Cummings: two civil rights icons, two Black men, lots of white people showing they don't know any better.‬ ‪5:00 We talk Trader Joes, how we need to stop exoticising non-European cultures in daily life, blind spots in the grocery store, and companies that bring their A game for damage control. And one that didn't with Leah. ‬ ‪22:00 Sportsball: The Washington Redskins, Elura's lack of sports knowledge, and an important ignored truth about the SuperBowl and domestic violence.‬ 25:00 Good Legislation Alert: The Gay Panic Defense has been outlawed in Colorado. This is an LGBTQ+ issue that's not getting much coverage. We break it down and talk about why it's such an important step in protecting the rainbow world and thus everyone. 40:00 L&E talk Cancel culture, political correctness, and the importance of paying attention to the power our words. 50:00 Time to check in on the rest of the world and COVID. Spoiler: there are more places than just America, and we should probably take a gander at what's happening on the Nile River.    --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/leah-gillis/support

As Pride Month comes to a close, we at Dark Matter wanted to dedicate an episode to current and past crime cases that involve LGBTQ/+ victims. In this episode, we break down what the infamous “Gay Panic Defense,” now referred to as the LGBTQ/+ Panic Defense, is and why it’s so harmful. We also speak on the ever-growing, yet seldom discussed issue of violence against trans people--specifically black trans women.

Hosts Mariel DiDato and Vincent Solomeno welcome New Jersey Democratic State LGBTQ Caucus Chair Lauren Albrecht. The three talk the ups and downs of advancing equality, Albrecht's experience as a member of the New Jersey State Democratic Committee, how to deal with haters, and Asbury Park Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn gets name dropped for the second episode in a row.

Did you know that in most parts of the United States a perpetrator of a violent crime can argue that they should not be convicted of a crime because they panicked when they discovered their victim was gay or transgender? In today's episode, Ms. Rosensweig discusses a recent law that was passed in Nevada, banning this deplorable defense.  She then explains what the defense is, how it is used and how successful it has been in allowing violent criminals to either secure a conviction of a lesser crime or not be convicted at all.  If this episode shocks and disturbs you, please take the time to share it with others.  Knowledge is power. 

In this week's headlines: • The Equality Act passes in the House of Representatives • Nevada bans the gay panic defense • An Australian rugby player loses his $4 million contract thanks to homophobic social media posts • FX's groundbreaking series POSE honored at Peabody Awards • And the Elton John ‘musical fantasy biopic' Rocketman premieres at the Cannes Film Festival All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

In this week's headlines: • The Equality Act passes in the House of Representatives • Nevada bans the gay panic defense • An Australian rugby player loses his $4 million contract thanks to homophobic social media posts • FX's groundbreaking series POSE honored at Peabody Awards • And the Elton John ‘musical fantasy biopic' Rocketman premieres at the Cannes Film Festival All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

The "gay panic" defense continues to be legal in 48 states and cleared one man of murder recently. Tim and John then explore the Top 10 professions with the highest divorce rates according to The Ladders. Listen and see if you agree. Apple Podcasts: apple.co/1WwDBrC iHeart Radio: bit.ly/2n0Z7H1 Tunein: bit.ly/1SE3NMb Stitcher: bit.ly/1N97Zqu Google Play: bit.ly/1pQTcVW YouTube: bit.ly/1spAF5a Also follow Tim and John on: Facebook: www.facebook.com/focusgroupradio Twitter: www.twitter.com/focusgroupradio Instagram: www.instagram.com/focusgroupradio

In episode 83, we welcome guest host Kyra Coffey (@acce_law) to discuss the legal issues in this week’s InJustice! We take a look at the state of Illinois considering to ban the gay panic defense. We also breakdown the Supreme Court halthing DACA document delivery. Plus, there’s an injunction on the third travel ban from Donald Trump. This and more on #InJustice.

In episode 83, we welcome guest host Kyra Coffey (@acce_law) to discuss the legal issues in this week’s InJustice! We take a look at the state of Illinois considering to ban the gay panic defense. We also breakdown the Supreme Court halthing DACA document delivery. Plus, there’s an injunction on the third travel ban from Donald Trump. This and more on #InJustice.

Get comfy friends because it’s time to discuss the Gay Panic Defense, celebrity canine kidnapping, and a bombshell new couple alert. As her royal sarcastic highness Tina Fey once said, “Buy a hat and hold the eff on.”

35 most LGBT Friendly US Cities List, Madonna's [RUMORED] leaked instrumental to her next single, Gay Panic Defense loses steam and Are Gay Men Shallow?

35 most LGBT Friendly US Cities List, Madonna's [RUMORED] leaked instrumental to her next single, Gay Panic Defense loses steam and Are Gay Men Shallow?

Episode 33Matthew ShepardHello and welcome to episode 33 of Jay Wont darts podcast, where I learn life lessons, and talk about them into a USB microphone.This episode of my podcast, I'll talk about Matthew Shepard, a young man in America, killed for the crime of being gay. I felt pretty moved by Matthews story, told by his parents mostly, and it made me think about how people use homosexuality as a negative term, its a put down to say "you're gay" for example. Researching this episode, I found this Public Service Announcement featuring Matthews motherAnd it made me think of the words I use, and that I hear other people use, and do nothing about. Recently at work I heard people walking out and talking about something that they didnt like , they said "that was gay". I felt like I should say something, maybe confront the couple "what, you have a problem with gay people?", as if I were gay myself. Im not gay, but they wouldnt know that, would they? Instead, I just pretended not to hear them, I dont like to cause trouble while I work, the "customer is always right" and all that. In future I dont want to ever use terms like "gay" to mean a bad thing, and will bring it up if people use the word Gay as a negative slander.Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) was a student at the University of Wyoming who was tortured and subsequently murdered near Laramie, Wyoming. He was attacked on the night of October 6–7, 1998 and died at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado, on October 12, from severe head injuries."Shortly after midnight on October 7, 1998, 21-year-old Shepard met McKinney and Henderson in a bar. McKinney and Henderson offered Shepard a ride in their car.[4] Subsequently, Shepard was robbed, pistol whipped, tortured, tied to a fence in a remote, rural area, and left to die. McKinney and Henderson also found out his address and intended to rob his home. Still tied to the fence, Shepard was discovered eighteen hours later by Aaron Kreifels, who at first thought that Shepard was a scarecrow. At the time of discovery, Shepard was still alive, but in a coma.Shepard suffered a fracture from the back of his head to the front of his right ear. He had severe brain stem damage, which affected his body's ability to regulate heart rate, body temperature and other vital signs. There were also about a dozen small lacerations around his head, face and neck. His injuries were deemed too severe for doctors to operate. Shepard never regained consciousness and remained on full life support. As he lay in intensive care, candlelight vigils were held by the people of Laramie.[5]He was pronounced dead at 12:53 A.M. on October 12, 1998, at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins.[6][7][8][9] Police arrested McKinney and Henderson shortly thereafter, finding the bloody gun as well as the victim's shoes and wallet in their truck.[3]GAY PANIC DEFENSEThe two attackers tried to defend what they did to Matthew as saying that as a gay man, Matthew had made a sexual advance on them, and in their disgust, shock and panic, they had killed him to defend themselves, they had lost control of what they were doing because they were so shocked. Its called the Gay Panic Defense. I hadnt heard of this before, but there have been two well known New Zealand cases in recent times.New Zealand examples. * In 2003, a gay interior designer, David McNee, was killed[8] by a homeless drug user and part time prostitute, Phillip Layton Edwards. Edwards said at his trial that he told McNee he was not gay, but would masturbate in front of him on a "no-touch" basis for money. The defence successfully argued that Edwards, who had 56 previous convictions and had been on parole for 11 days, was provoked into beating McNee after the former television host violated their "no touching" agreement. Edwards was jailed for nine years for manslaughter.[9][10] * In July 2009, Ferdinand Ambach, 32, a Hungarian tourist, was convicted of killing Ronald Brown, 69, by hitting him with a banjo and shoving the instrument's neck down Brown's throat. Ambach was initially charged with murder, but the charge was downgraded to manslaughter after Ambach's lawyer successfully invoked the gay panic defence.The prosecutor in the case charged that McKinney and Henderson pretended to be gay in order to gain Shepard's trust to rob him.[11] During the trial, Chastity Pasley and Kristen Price (the respective girlfriends of McKinney and Henderson at the time of the event) testified under oath that Henderson and McKinney both plotted beforehand to rob a gay man. McKinney and Henderson then went to the Fireside Lounge and selected Shepard as their target. McKinney alleged that Shepard asked them for a ride home. After befriending him, they took him to a remote area of Laramie where they robbed him, beat him severely, and tied him to a fence with a rope from McKinney's truck while Shepard begged for his life. Media reports often contained the graphic account of the pistol whipping and his smashed skull. It was reported that Shepard was beaten so brutally that his face was covered in blood, except where it had been partially washed clean by his tears.[12][13] Both girlfriends also testified that neither McKinney nor Henderson was under the influence of drugs at the time.[14][15]Henderson pleaded guilty on April 5, 1999, and agreed to testify against McKinney to avoid the death penalty; he received two life sentences. The jury in McKinney's trial found him guilty of felony murder. As it began to deliberate on the death penalty, Shepard's parents brokered a deal, resulting in McKinney receiving two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.[2]Henderson and McKinney were incarcerated in the Wyoming State Penitentiary in Rawlins but were transferred to other prisons due to overcrowding.[16]===================There had been other attacks on Matthew during his short life.Because of his sexuality, Shepard faced physical and verbal abuse. During a high school trip to Morocco he was beaten and raped, causing him to withdraw and experience bouts of depression and panic attacks, according to his mother. One of Shepard's friends feared his depression caused him to become involved with drugs during his time in college.The anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, led by Fred Phelps, picketed Shepard's funeral as well as the trial of his assailants,[34][35] displaying signs with slogans such as "Matt Shepard rots in Hell", "AIDS Kills Fags Dead" and "God Hates Fags".[36] When the Wyoming Supreme Court ruled that it was legal to display any sort of religious message on city property if it was legal for Casper's Ten Commandments display to remain, Phelps attempted and failed to gain city permits in Cheyenne and Casper to build a monument "of marble or granite 5 or 6 feet (1.8 m) in height on which will be a bronze plaque bearing Shepard's picture and the words: "MATTHEW SHEPARD, Entered Hell October 12, 1998, in Defiance of God's Warning: 'Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; it is abomination.' Leviticus 18:22."[37][38][39][40]Fred Phelps is well known for being homophobic, hes often in american media protesting gay rights. Phelps and his church claim to have protested over 30,000 events. As a counterprotest during Henderson's trial, Romaine Patterson, a friend of Shepard's, organized a group of individuals who assembled in a circle around the Phelps group wearing white robes and gigantic wings (resembling angels) that blocked the protesters. Police had to create a human barrier between the two protest groups.[41] While the organization had no name in the initial demonstration, it has since been ascribed various titles, including 'Angels of Peace' and 'Angel Action'.[34][35] The fence to which Shepard was tied and left to die became an impromptu shrine for visitors, who left notes, flowers, and other mementos. It has since been removed by the land owner.I found this clip of Matthews father talking about the death of his son.I was pretty moved by what Matthews father said.Under the current United States federal law[21] and Wyoming state law,[22] crimes committed on the basis of sexual orientation were not prosecutable as hate crimes.A bill was proposed, The Matthew Shepard act, that would serve to protect future victims of attacks on them because they were gay, percieved to be gay, or disabled, it would count as a Hate Crime just as if someone were attacked for being a certain race, now gay people would be protected. Some conservatives, such as James Dobson from Focus on the Family (a group mentioned in GTA Vice City) said that religious people would be forced to accept homosexual people, many religions are strongly against homosexuals, and they felt protecting gay people from attack, under a hate crime offense, that would be basically legalising homosexuality. I'm sad that people still feel so strongly against gay people being granted equal rights.< press release hoping bill would pass>Finally, in 2007, the Matthew Shepard Act almost got passed, before the Democrats dropped it before it was approved, President George W Bush had said he might veto it if it came to his desk, George Bush didnt want the bill passed, and most republicans seemed to be against the Matthew Shepard Act.Before becoming President, Obama had said he was for the bill being passed into law.On the 2nd of April, 2009 the bill passed, The Matthew Shepard Act became law. Future victims attacked for being gay will be able to class the offense as a Hate Crime, just as attacks based on race, religion or nationality were previously protected.A play has been made about Matthews story, called The Laramie Project, after Laramie Wyoming near where Matthew was attacked.Its sad to believe that there are still people out there who feel strongly against gay people. Matthews death was tragic, and has gained a high profile for injustices against homosexuals, I decided to make this podcast episode so that anyone listening would be reminded of Matthew Shepard.In the years following Shepard's death, his mother Judy has become a well-known advocate for LGBT rights, particularly issues relating to gay youth. She's a prime force behind the Matthew Shepard Foundation, which supports diversity and tolerance in youth organizations.Created to honor Matthew in a manner that was appropriate to his dreams, beliefs and aspirations, the Foundation seeks to "Replace Hate with Understanding, Compassion & Acceptance" through its varied educational, outreach and advocacy programs and by continuing to tell Matthew's story.The Foundation focuses on three primary areas: erasing hate in society; putting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth first; and ensuring equality for all LGBT Americans.Matthew was described by his parents as "an optimistic and accepting young man [who] had a special gift of relating to almost everyone. He was the type of person who was very approachable and always looked to new challenges. Matthew had a great passion for equality and always stood up for the acceptance of people's differences."[1]Thank you for listening to this episode of my podcast.If you want to contact me, even just to say you listened, send an email to jaywontdart@gmail.com, j a y w o n t d a r t @ gmail.com, I'd appreciate it.Have a super happy day, bye.sources=======Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepardhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_panic_defensedad talks video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkQysLewF4wPSA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4cl-pNYdXspress release years laterhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbLcXVpDFV0