A few weeks ago, Judy Shepard visited Mississippi State to speak about diversity and tolerance. She has been traveling the country with her message since her gay son died from a hate crime in 1998.
Judy Shepard is not always well-received in her efforts to educate people on the effects of intense discrimination. Many people have claimed that she is seeking personal gain through the death of her son-that she is exploiting his death in attempt to become a national figure.
Others argue that she is beginning to preach against the majority-that is, she is becoming so forceful in her attack on ignorance that many believe she is claiming that people who aren’t in a minority group are ignorant and need to change their ways.
Fred Phelps, a Baptist preacher from Kansas, is a publicly avid opponent of Shepard’s actions. Phelps claims that Shepard is only out to profit from the death of Matthew and to promote homosexuality. Phelps has gone so far as to follow Shepard around and form groups to protest her speeches. He has done so over 25 times, including a recent protest at Ole Miss during the same week that Shepard visited MSU.
Phelps has not only made it a point of his career to degrade Judy Shepard, but nearly everyone that does not fit his own personal image of a true God-worshiping individual. Phelps owns several Web sites that assert his beliefs in a rather improper manner. One such Web site is www.godhatesfags.com, which bashes everyone from Matthew Shepard to the Pope.
Compare Judy Shepard’s message with that of Phelps. Shepard has reasonable grounds for her speeches. Not only has she had to live through a very painful personal experience dealing with a hate crime, but she can also see the unreasonable hate that lives within people like Phelps.
Although her protest against ignorance may often seem insulting to those people not in the minority, but if she doesn’t protest ignorance forcefully, she won’t be effective. Feelings will be hurt, but it is usually because people recognize their own ignorance and cannot admit it.
I’m not saying that everyone who is offended by Shepard’s statements is guilty of ignorance. Someone who is very assertive about any issue will often seem offensive, but many people fail to recognize their own faults, even after they are pointed out.
Ignorance, though not the sole problem, is a major factor in discrimination. When people are not educated about different races, religions and lifestyles, they can often be quick to judge.
However, when people have the chance to learn about various lifestyles that are present in the world, they can develop informed opinions that result in greater harmony.
Judy Shepard is not out to convert people to homosexuality. She just wants people to accept the fact that everyone is not the same. She wants people to attempt to understand other lifestyles and be tolerant of the differences that exist between people.
Tolerance has always been a hot issue. One side can argue that everyone needs to be accepting of people in minorities while another side argues that preaching tolerance is preaching acceptance of lifestyles that should not be deemed acceptable. Tolerance is not forcing potentially unacceptable lifestyles onto other people, nor does it force people to change their attitudes. Instead, tolerance allows everyone, regardless of differences, to live harmoniously in a world where differences are never going to dissipate.
A recent submitted article in The Starkville Daily News attacked Shepard for her treatment of the heterosexuals in her audience. The author of the article claimed that Shepard did not take into consideration that not everyone who opposes the homosexuality hates the people that live the lifestyle. He also suggested that she did not acknowledge any other reason than ignorance for people to oppose homosexuality.
He finished his argument with his reasons for not approving of the lifestyle-the fact that the lifestyle is “unhealthy” and “unnatural.”
An accusation that the lifestyle is unnatural most likely stems from a Biblical perspective, but the claim that the lifestyle is “unhealthy” would be the result of an incomplete understanding. Further research would find that precautions can be and are taken to counter the unhealthy aspects of any lifestyle.
Simply because health risks exist is no reason to disapprove of a way of life. Every lifestyle is risky, whether one is homosexual, heterosexual or even nonsexual. I’m sure the author of the article does not condone risky behaviors of any lifestyle, but risky behavior should not be used as a reason to be disapproving of a particular way of life.
It seems like most people are missing Shepard’s main purpose. She is not out to change the world; she just wants to make sure people are not killed simply because of differences. This should be a goal of all people, regardless of what type of life they lead.
This would, of course, require that misguided pastors stop proclaiming that God hates certain groups of people. This would require that people allow themselves to learn as much about other people as they possibly can during their lifetime. Minorities should take the time to learn about people who aren’t like themselves, just as non-minorities should. This would also require that people look past their own cultural and religious differences long enough to unite against those who believe harming others is an acceptable method of controlling lifestyles of which they disapprove.
Michael Robert is a freshman biological science major. He can be reached at [email protected].