Republican Representative Virginia Foxx Claims Matthew Shepard Hate Crime a 'Hoax'

April 30, 2009

 

 

Republican Representative Virginia Foxx reiterated a popular right-wing argument today when she said the idea that Matthew Shepard was murdered because he was gay amounts to nothing more than a "hoax."

Matthew Shepard was the 21-year-old college student lured by two men from a gay bar, beaten and then tied to a fence and left for dead.

Lawmakers including President Barack Obama, are asking Congress to pass the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Bill, which would make it a federal crime to target victims because they’re gay or transgendered.

Foxx insists, however, that Shepard’s death was a simple robbery.

On April 29, 2009, while sitting across from Judy Shepard, the mother of Matthew Shepard, after whom the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 is colloquially referred to -- Rep. Foxx issued the following statement:

“I also would like to point out that there was a bill -- the hate crimes bill that's called the Matthew Shepard bill is named after a very unfortunate incident that happened where a young man was killed, but we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn't because he was gay." Rep. Foxx continued: "This -- the bill was named for him, hate crimes bill was named for him, but it's really a hoax that that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills."

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), who supports the hate crimes bill, stared in disbelief before answering a question about the statement. "It's just sad the Republican caucus has been reduced such a fringe," she said. "It's sad they would go out of their way to prevent people from getting justice."

"She should be ashamed," said Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), himself a victim of a hate crime during the struggle for civil rights. "That is unreal, unbelievable. The law enforcement people and almost every reasonable person I know believes he was murdered because he was gay."

Shepard’s killers’ girlfriends both testified at the trial that they were specifically looking to attack a gay man.