The Laramie Project

September 14, 2005

It’s SIMO in school. It means Social Involvement month. It’s a great event because really, students get to be socially involved. Just last meeting, we viewed a docu-movie, called the Laramie Project, a part of it’s programme, which practically covered our History period.

Laramie Project is quite unfamiliar. In fact, had I not viewed it last Tuesday, I wouldn’t have known. Laramie is common to the ears of US citizens, primarily those who have had their minds already receptive to their environment by 1998. I was on my 6th grade that time here in the Philippines.

Laramie, Wyoming: the murder-place of Matthew Shepard on the early month of October, for the mere reason of his gay sexuality. Was the reason for his murder worth his heinous death? I think not.

Matt was just 5′2, killed by around 5′7 individuals, tied on a fence to minus his chance of escape, hit on the head for a frustrating number of times that caused him a serious skull fracture and internal head bleeding. When he was found 18 hours after the crime, he had blood all over, save the area where his tears flowed when he cried. After a few quiet and heavy days on the hospital, he finally gave up.

Why was he brutally killed? Because he was gay. Such a shallow reason. Such a shallow cause. Such an overwhelming effect. He was obviously killed because he is not among the common, because he was different. His being homosexual was not welcomed by those who took away his life.

The movie was so heavy, it triggered tears to come out of my eyes. The television was only 2-3 meters directly in front of me. Whatever came out of it easily shocked the hell out of me.

I wonder why gays and lesbians have to receive such treatment. Not murder really, but the simple daily act that is visible to us—discrimination. We have to think that their sexuality is not their sin. It was because that thing made them happy and comfortable with themselves. The struggle that they have to undergo for self-discovery, understanding of self-worth, and for the acceptance of what they really are are already difficult phases for them. What more with the fact that, when they finally accepted what they are, others cannot already accept them?

Would we want the same thing happen to us? Is deprivation of our own happiness and dignity something that’s almost to nothing?

Why don’t we just live and let live?