PART FIVE: “27 Years Later: Have We Learned Anything?”

 

PART FIVE: “27 Years Later: Have We Learned Anything?”

From Wyoming to Washington — we are not done.

Matthew’s death shook a nation. But apparently, not hard enough to keep us from falling back asleep.

It’s been 27 years since Matthew Shepard was murdered. And yet—queer youth are still being targeted. Trans rights are under attack. And the legal excuse that helped defend Matthew’s killer? Still on the books in more than a dozen U.S. states.

From Candlelight to Congressional Shrugs

The 2009 passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act was a moment of hope. But it wasn’t a finish line. It was a pause. And in that pause, America got comfortable—while queer lives stayed vulnerable.

The Gay Panic Defense: Still Legal. Still Absurd.

As of 2025, 22 U.S. states still allow the “Gay Panic” or “Trans Panic” defense. It’s a loophole wrapped in fragility, masquerading as legal reasoning. Imagine a defense that says, “I panicked because someone existed,” and the court says, “Fair enough.”

If that sounds ridiculous—it’s because it is. And yet, here we are.

Hate Crimes Aren’t History

• 2021: A Black trans woman found murdered in Florida. No one charged.
• 2023: Drag bans become law in over 10 states.
• 2024: Three queer teens attacked outside a Pride event. Blamed for “rowdy behavior.”
• 2025: Hate crimes reach a 15-year high.

We’re not safer. We’re just better at hashtagging trauma.

Trump & the Rainbow-Washed Regression

Trump waved a rainbow flag, then gutted LGBTQ+ protections like it was a game of political Operation. He banned trans troops, erased queer language from federal sites, and championed Project 2025—an actual policy wish list of homophobia in a tuxedo.

The closet didn’t kill us. Your policies might.

We Got Rainbows. But Where’s the Justice?

Every June we’re handed rainbow vodka, rainbow chips, rainbow capitalism. But where is the allyship when our rights are rolled back? Where’s the corporate outrage when schools ban books with the word “gay” in them?

We asked for protection. You gave us rainbow Oreos.

Matthew Wasn’t the Last

His death was a warning. A rallying cry. But it wasn’t an ending. Queer people are still being buried in silence—while hate gets better lighting and legal funding.

If you're tired, good. If you're angry, better. Because tired and angry people don’t forget. They fight.

The Fence Wasn’t the End

It was the start of a fight we’re still in. From Wyoming to Washington—this isn’t over. Not until the last excuse is buried and the last queer kid feels safe just existing.

Tags: Matthew Shepard, Hate Crimes, Gay Panic Defense, LGBTQ Rights, Project 2025, Queer History, Trump LGBTQ Policies, The Sassy Gazette, Still Fighting, Rainbow Capitalism