Today, October 22, 2009 the United States Senate passed the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Bill with a vote of 68-29. The bill now heads to President Obama's desk where it is said that he will sign it into law.
Today, all of the major LGBT networks are sounding the joy of a work achieved, and indeed, we should. At last through the laws of this Country, LGBT individuals are raised up a status and given some protection. It is unfortunate that the events of our past bring us to the point where we have to have a hate crimes law. It is unfortunate that we cannot trust people to leave their prejudices behind and to leave others who are different than themselves alone.
We cannot but think of the work of Judy and Dennis Shepard who have turned a tragic death into a call to embrace the cross of injustice and inequality toward their son, Matthew. They did not let this cross weigh them down with despair and they also did not let their son die in vain. Instead they shouldered the cross and sounded a message of hope for others who face criminal actions due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Walking with Integrity a group of LGBT Episcopalians who are working for the full inclusion of LGBT people in the Church, has written a response to today's news and has included the following in their response.
"In her 2007 letter in support of the bill passed by the Senate today, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori included this quote from former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold: "The fact that Matthew was an Episcopalian makes our grief no more sharp, but it does give us a particular responsibility to stand with gays and lesbians, to decry all forms of violence against them - from verbal to physical, and to encourage the dialogue that can, with God's help, lead to new appreciation for their presence in the life of our church, and the broader community."
Let us pray and give thanks to God for God's leadership and loving witness through the Shepard family with all that they have endured. Let us take their example and rise up and walk with faithfulness and love for all who suffer hate, that there may be peach and justice for all.
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