Anywhere but Here:
The Geography of Hate Crimes in Recent Memory
“We don’t grow children like that here.” - Jeffrey Lockwood, as quoted in The Laramie Project
When hate crimes are committed, such as the murder of Matthew Shepard, members of the local
community frequently express shock that such senseless violence could be committed by their own
neighbors. Like Jeffrey Lockwood from Laramie, people are incredulous that their communities could ever
“grow children like that.” Just this past spring, a gay man was killed in Greenwich Village, the area of New
York City many historians consider to be the birthplace of the American LGBT rights movement. America
has a long and sordid history of hate crimes, and in the past 20 years, we have seen that hatred is not
limited to any particular region of the country.
Greenwich Village, New York:
Mark Carson, 2013.
Medford, Oregon:
Roxanne Ellis and Michelle Abdill, 1995.
Humboldt, Nebraska:
Brandon Teena, 1993.
Newark, New Jersey:
Sakia Gunn, 2003.
Oxnard, California:
Lawrence King, 2008.
Map courtesy of
lamar.colostate.edu
Cortez, Colorado:
Fred Martinez, 2001.
Jasper, Texas:
James Byrd, Jr., 1998.
Savannah, Georgia:
Sissy "Charles" Bolden, 1999.
President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard
and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act,
which expanded the 1969 Hate-Crime Law to
include crimes motivated by the victim’s disability,
gender, gender identity or sexual orientation. The
picture to the left shows President Obama with
the families of James Byrd, Jr., and Matthew
Shepard after the signing.
Photo of President Obama with Louvon Harris, Judy Shepard and Betty Byrd
Boatner by Pete Souza, 2009. Courtesy, The White House.
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