Rachel Hayat English Hw
Dr.Van Slyck 10/01/2012
In the play The Laramie Project there are many controversial views on the death of Matthew
Shepard, a homosexual student living in Laramie Wyoming. Many believe that the death of Matthew
Shepard was a hate crime and more importantly a savage unforgivable. Unfortunately there are
some who believe that the crime of Matthew's sexual orientation supersedes the crime of the incident.
In the play many interviews are taken and we are able to see the various views of the towns' people.
Some believe he deserved to die, others believe his death was shocking and horrible. Most are
overwhelmed by the chaos of it all.
Sherry Johnson, the wife of a highway patrolman, shares her beliefs with the church. Raised
to fear and loath homosexuals she is confused and cautiously mournful. During her interview she
goes on to say (in vague terms) that she does not believe in what Matthew stood for:
"Now I didn't know him, but… there's just so many things about him that i found out that I just, it's scary.
You know bout his character and spreading AIDS and a few other things, you know, being the kind of
person that he was. He was, he was just a barfly, you know. And I think he pushed himself around. I think he
flaunted it" (Kaufman 62). Based on her answer you can see that although she knew deep down what
happened to Matthew was wrong, she still refrained from being upset due to her disliking of his sexual orientation.
Mrs.Johnson's reaction to Matthew was culturally induced. She was most likely brought up in a home that went to church
where she learned that homosexuality is supposedly a sin. Racism and Homophobia are learned traits brought on
usually by parents or teacher figures.
One of the interviewed towns people, Matt Galloway, did not share Mrs. Johnson's opinion in the slightest.
Matt worked at the bar where Matthew had been kidnapped and had seen most of it happen. He strongly believed
it was not Matthew's fault and that the perpetrators should be severely punished. He believed Matthew
was a decent, respectable human being and there was no way he came on to the guys who took him.
During the interview Matt says "Why would he approach them? Why them? He wasn't approaching anybody else in
the bar. They say he's gay, he was a flaming gay, he's gonna come on the people like that. Bullshit. He never came
on to me. Hello?!? He came on to them? I don't believe it" (Kaufman 31). Matt's response to Matthew's death was also
culturally cultivated. You learn what to like and not like from experience; it is not a trait had from birth. Matt was clearly
brought up in a home that did not discriminate against sexual orientation. He learned to be open minded and not judge
others based on who they like to sleep with.
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