Losing Matt Shepard

Beth Loffreda has created a very clear picture of the events which occurred immediately following the death of Matthew Shepard, as well as the continuing struggle that both gay and straight individuals face when trying to create a community where everyone is accepted and comfortable. What she did not do, for which I am extremely greatful, was to write her book with any blatent prejudice toward either side. (NOTE: It is, however, written from a supportive and gay-positive view point). Her work was fair and honest, and I believe she truly tried to accurately represent the feelings of everyone who was affected wrenching discussions about it. Rather, Loffreda has focused her attention on the fallout of his death. She discusses the trials of the four "kids" involved in Matt's death, including specific legal issues and arguments raised of-state visitors during that time. She discusses the continuing struggle over implementation of bias and hate crime legislation, both within Wyoming and at the Federal level. She discusses other issues such as race, economics, etc. which must also be considered in conjunction with the "gay issue." She also touches on the part played by religious organizations, from the antics of Fred Phelps to the support and love shown by local churches. Throughout every discussion, often based on conversations with Laramie residents, she tries to be fair to all and show the fact that there is no hard and fast answer to be found here.

A good friend purchased this book for me as a gift, for which I am truly thankful. He warned me that it might make me angry (as I tend to get worked up about discrimination and bias issues), but that it was an excellent book. I agree 100%, and encourage everyone to take the chance and read it. You will not be disappointed.

It seems both so long ago and so yesterday that a young gay man was ruthlessly tortured and killed on a lonely Wyoming road, torching a national controversy that became interwoven into our national quilt. In her book, "Losing Matt Shepard", Beth Loffreda successfully examines the threads of this event, its effect on Wyoming, Laramie, and the people closely involved.

Loffreda doesn't merely rehash the events, but extends and relates them in a matter of fact way that brings a deeper understanding to the entire horrific event. We see the event through many different groups eyes, through his friends, special groups, Laramie residents, Wyoming residents, national media, and even hate groups. It's through this multi-faceted examination that we are drawn deeper into this tragedy.

And then at this moment, Loffreda brilliantly takes us around the crime scenes with a sheriff so devoted to Matt and solving this crime, he becomes a true hero in this story. The placement of this section is criticial; just when we yearn for this information, she gives it to us, painting us a picture of the last hours Matt spent on this Wyoming plain, and his eventual death. It chilled me reading it, and moved me deeply. You want to run into the pages to save this poor soul who suffered because of who he was.

Read this book. Understand the consequences. Make sure nothing like this ever happens again.

In the two years since Matt Shepard's murder roiled our national consciousness, the shock and the emotion that spurred a thousand candlelight vigils have ebbed, leaving a space for thoughtful reflection on the lasting meaning of this tragedy in our common life. One of those reflective events is "The Laramie Project," a theatrical meditation on the people of Laramie and how Shepard's death has affected them.

Those of us who can't get to New York City now have a similarly valuable reflective text in Beth Loffreda's thoughtful book, _Losing Matt Shepard: Life and Politics in the Aftermath of Anti-Gay Murder_. Loffreda writes from a unique perspective: she joined the faculty of the University of Wyoming just before Shepard's murder, and thus brings the insight of an outsider to her careful observations of the aftermath: the vigils, media coverage, and trials.

But most importantly, she brings us the voices of Laramie's residents, both those who knew Matt and those who grew to know his life after it ended. Her focus is not on the private details of Shepard's life, but how his life and death affected and illuminated the political and human landscapes of this Wyoming town. Avoiding easy answers, Loffreda keeps before us the complexities of the lives and communities she documents. With elegant and careful prose, she sets before us the scenes and testimonies she has gathered, reflecting on these events with a clarity that does not preclude passion.

In the end, Loffreda claims, the legacy of Matt Shepard (for those who did not know him personally, but were nonetheless affected by his death) is that he impelled such reflection and conversation: "When the town lost Matt, a stranger to most of its residents, it found someone to remember, and to remember turbulently, intimately, often unwillingly, and always with difficulty and disagreement. If Matt bequeathed Laramie anything, he bequeathed us the passion and necessity and freedom of dissent. And as the town continues to remember and forget, to speak the languages of tolerance and admonition both, we should all hold that inheritance close."

Those who look for ways to remember Matt Shepard and to deepen their understanding of the meaning(s) of his life and death would do well to begin with a careful reading of this thoughtful and caring book.