Many thanks to all of you who joined us for the 10th annual Matthew Shepard March for LGBT Freedom last Saturday night!
Many pics of the event can be found at Chicago Indy Media.
Chicago Access Network Television and Chicago Indy Media were filming that night and as soon as their films are produced, we'll post news about how you can watch them...
Several speakers noted that hatred against gays and the violence it gives rise to isn't just something that occurred 10 years ago in a small western town, but continues to be a problem here in Chicago and elsewhere:
** Attorney Jon Erickson spoke about one of his clients, Alexander Ruppert, who was the victim of a particularly brutal gay bashing by Chicago Police in the Uptown neighborhood.
** Transgender activist June LaTrobe noted that several dozen LGBT people have been murdered in hate crimes in the United States since Matthew Shepard's murder, and that transgender people are disproportionately vtctims of these crimes.
** Greg Baird, the executive producer of a new documentary on Shepard, talked about how his murder changed attitudes towards LGBT people in the country.
** LGBT and immigrant rights activist Tania Unzueta of Radio Arte emphasized that LGBT people cannot be oblivious to the scapegoating of immigrants that is currently fashionable in many parts of the US – the successful scapegoating of any minority makes it easier for others to be attacked as well.
** GLN's Andy Thayer surveyed the changes and similariites in acceptance of LGBT's today versus 10 years ago, noting the areas in politics and lack of freedom for young LGBT's where we still have a lot of ground to cover.
** Keynote speaker Wayne Besen noted that Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications is set to reward one of America's premier haters, Focus on the Family's James Dobson, with an award on the evening of Saturday, November 8th. GLN is working with Besen's DumpDobson.org to protest the induction that night:
