Difference between revisions of "The Laramie Project"
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| − | '''The Laramie Project''' is a fictional play by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project. The play centers on the controvesy surrounding the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming | + | '''The Laramie Project''' is a fictional play by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project. The play centers on the controvesy surrounding the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming. |
| − | The play first opened at The Ricketson Theatre by the Denver Center Theatre Company in February 2000. The play was also performed in the Union Square Theater in New York City, and again in November 2002 performance in Laramie. HBO subsequently made a movie based on the play | + | The play first opened at The Ricketson Theatre by the Denver Center Theatre Company in February 2000. The play was also performed in the Union Square Theater in New York City, and again in November 2002 performance in Laramie. HBO subsequently made a movie based on the play. To date, the play has been performed at several hundred High Schools across the United States at the expense of US taxpayers. |
Critics of both the play and movie have commented they feel The Laramie Project is a homosexual propaganda movie, particularly in light of the actual facts in the case of Matthew Sheppard which became public following interviews of Matthew Sheppards killers by the 20/20 News Program. | Critics of both the play and movie have commented they feel The Laramie Project is a homosexual propaganda movie, particularly in light of the actual facts in the case of Matthew Sheppard which became public following interviews of Matthew Sheppards killers by the 20/20 News Program. | ||
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During an interview with 20/20 news, several associates of Sheppard provided evidence and statements to the press that McKinney, Sheppard's killer, was also a homosexual. McKinney was interviewed by 20/20 and told reporters that Sheppard's sexual orientation was not a motive for the killing, despite media reports, and distorted reporting and lobbying of the incident by the militant gay rights movement. Both McKinney and Doc O'conner, associates of Sheppard, stated that both Matthew Sheppard and McKinney were homosexuals and were also methampetamine users. | During an interview with 20/20 news, several associates of Sheppard provided evidence and statements to the press that McKinney, Sheppard's killer, was also a homosexual. McKinney was interviewed by 20/20 and told reporters that Sheppard's sexual orientation was not a motive for the killing, despite media reports, and distorted reporting and lobbying of the incident by the militant gay rights movement. Both McKinney and Doc O'conner, associates of Sheppard, stated that both Matthew Sheppard and McKinney were homosexuals and were also methampetamine users. | ||
| − | McKinney and Henderson told reporters Matthew Sheppard | + | McKinney and Henderson told reporters Matthew Sheppard and McKinney got into an altercation when Sheppard attempted to solicit homosexual contact with McKinney while he was "coming off a meth binge" and that McKinney's rage and drug induced psychosis triggered a violent episode that left Sheppard seriously injured. |
| − | Since McKinney, Sheppards attacker, was also a homosexual/bisexual, the incident did not meet the legal definition of an "anti-homosexual hate crime" | + | Since McKinney, Sheppards attacker, was also a homosexual/bisexual, the incident did not meet the legal definition of an "anti-homosexual hate crime." |
Both Critics of The Laramie Project Play and Movie and fundamental Christian Leaders have commented they feel the play distorts the facts of Matthew Sheppard's life. One fundamental Christian group, the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka Kansas, picketed Matthew Sheppard's Funeral, and have made strong public statements about the treatment of the facts of the murder in The Laramie Project. They have publicly stated: | Both Critics of The Laramie Project Play and Movie and fundamental Christian Leaders have commented they feel the play distorts the facts of Matthew Sheppard's life. One fundamental Christian group, the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka Kansas, picketed Matthew Sheppard's Funeral, and have made strong public statements about the treatment of the facts of the murder in The Laramie Project. They have publicly stated: | ||
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== Judy Sheppard and the Matthew Sheppard Foundation == | == Judy Sheppard and the Matthew Sheppard Foundation == | ||
| − | Judy Sheppard founded The Matthew Sheppard Foundation shortly after her son was killed, then almost immediately began offering her services as a guest speaker on "anti-gay hate crimes" across the United States at events sponsored by the | + | Judy Sheppard founded The Matthew Sheppard Foundation shortly after her son was killed, then almost immediately began offering her services as a guest speaker on "anti-gay hate crimes" across the United States at events sponsored by the gay rights movement. Mrs. Sheppard charges between $5,000.00 and $10,000.00 per event as a "guest speaker". To date, she has spoken at a large number of such events perpetuating what many critics and fundamental Christian groups refer to as "The Matthew Sheppard Hate Crime Hoax". |
| − | In 2003, Judy Sheppard received salaries and bonuses of $82,485.00 from her foundation. By 2002, Judy Sheppard had amassed over $423,894.00 in assets through her | + | In 2003, Judy Sheppard received salaries and bonuses of $82,485.00 from her foundation. By 2002, Judy Sheppard had amassed over $423,894.00 in assets through her foundation promoting Matthew's murder as a "homosexual hate crime". Later in 2003, her foundation reported total assets of $332,731.00. |
== References == | == References == | ||
Revision as of 02:35, March 15, 2007
The Laramie Project is a fictional play by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project. The play centers on the controvesy surrounding the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming.
The play first opened at The Ricketson Theatre by the Denver Center Theatre Company in February 2000. The play was also performed in the Union Square Theater in New York City, and again in November 2002 performance in Laramie. HBO subsequently made a movie based on the play. To date, the play has been performed at several hundred High Schools across the United States at the expense of US taxpayers.
Critics of both the play and movie have commented they feel The Laramie Project is a homosexual propaganda movie, particularly in light of the actual facts in the case of Matthew Sheppard which became public following interviews of Matthew Sheppards killers by the 20/20 News Program.
Matthew Sheppard Hate Crime Hoax
Several prominent politicians, including President Bill Clinton used the Matthew Sheppard incident in an attempt to lobby Congress to pass hate crime legislation adding homosexuals as a "protected class". This legislation was defeated, however, it served to open the door to homosexual marriage legislation, which has also been defeated in the majority of States within the US.
During an interview with 20/20 news, several associates of Sheppard provided evidence and statements to the press that McKinney, Sheppard's killer, was also a homosexual. McKinney was interviewed by 20/20 and told reporters that Sheppard's sexual orientation was not a motive for the killing, despite media reports, and distorted reporting and lobbying of the incident by the militant gay rights movement. Both McKinney and Doc O'conner, associates of Sheppard, stated that both Matthew Sheppard and McKinney were homosexuals and were also methampetamine users.
McKinney and Henderson told reporters Matthew Sheppard and McKinney got into an altercation when Sheppard attempted to solicit homosexual contact with McKinney while he was "coming off a meth binge" and that McKinney's rage and drug induced psychosis triggered a violent episode that left Sheppard seriously injured.
Since McKinney, Sheppards attacker, was also a homosexual/bisexual, the incident did not meet the legal definition of an "anti-homosexual hate crime."
Both Critics of The Laramie Project Play and Movie and fundamental Christian Leaders have commented they feel the play distorts the facts of Matthew Sheppard's life. One fundamental Christian group, the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka Kansas, picketed Matthew Sheppard's Funeral, and have made strong public statements about the treatment of the facts of the murder in The Laramie Project. They have publicly stated:
"... The Laramie Project has painted Matthew Sheppard, a confirmed methampetamine user, a hero for getting himself killed while trolling for anonymous homosexual sex and meth in a cowboy bar at midnight. This is not the stuff of heroism, it is the stuff of idiocy. ... Matthew Sheppard has become a "Poster Boy" for the militant Gay rights movement and its attempts to recruit impressionable young people into the sinful sodomite lifestyle and into lives of sin, shame, disease, death, and hell."
The Westboro Baptist Church and its congregation are depicted in an unfavorable light in both the play and the movie for preaching from the Bible against Homosexuality at Matthew Sheppards funeral.
Judy Sheppard and the Matthew Sheppard Foundation
Judy Sheppard founded The Matthew Sheppard Foundation shortly after her son was killed, then almost immediately began offering her services as a guest speaker on "anti-gay hate crimes" across the United States at events sponsored by the gay rights movement. Mrs. Sheppard charges between $5,000.00 and $10,000.00 per event as a "guest speaker". To date, she has spoken at a large number of such events perpetuating what many critics and fundamental Christian groups refer to as "The Matthew Sheppard Hate Crime Hoax".
In 2003, Judy Sheppard received salaries and bonuses of $82,485.00 from her foundation. By 2002, Judy Sheppard had amassed over $423,894.00 in assets through her foundation promoting Matthew's murder as a "homosexual hate crime". Later in 2003, her foundation reported total assets of $332,731.00.