The Laramie Project, written by Moises Kaufman and the members of the Tectonic Theater Project, offers a commentary on homosexuality and living as a minority in the United States. As a gay man, Matthew Shepard represents a small minority in the overwhelmingly conservative town of Laramie, Wyoming. In Laramie, the population is largely straight and 89.39% Caucasian. These demographics represent one of the most reserved political views of rural republicanism. Rural republicans are largely homophobic, pro-life, and share a fear of the unknown. Through examination of The Laramie Project and current events, it is clear that American opinions on homophobia have changed slightly, yet remain similar to how they were in 1998.
The Laramie Project takes …show more content…
Shepard’s assailant, Aaron Kreifels threatened him before the murder: “We drove him out past Wal-Mart. We got over there, and he starts grabbing my leg and grabbing my genitals. I was like, “Look, I’m not a fucking faggot. If you touch me again you’re gonna get it.” I don’t know what the hell he was trying to do but I beat him up pretty bad. Think I killed him.”(88). Aaron knew nothing of Matthew’s beliefs, views, and opinions on anything; he only knew Matthew was gay. Sexuality based violence such as this is still pervasive in society today. For example, look at the role of homophobia in sports. In 2015 a study on homophobia in sport was conducted, the study was conducted to see how many athletes witnessed homophobia in Sport, unsurprisingly the U.S. was the country with the largest reportings of homophobia in sport: “The study found the U.S. had the highest percentage of gay men reporting that they had received verbal threats in a sports environment, and the highest percentage of gay men who heard slurs. In fact, of the six countries surveyed, the U.S. ranked worst in sports homophobia and discrimination.” It is remarkable that many label the United States as the most progressive countries in the world, yet the United States as a whole can’t escape homophobia in one of its most common pastimes, sports. These verbal attacks are characteristic of intense homophobia and show how little American homophobia has
The Laramie Project takes …show more content…
Shepard’s assailant, Aaron Kreifels threatened him before the murder: “We drove him out past Wal-Mart. We got over there, and he starts grabbing my leg and grabbing my genitals. I was like, “Look, I’m not a fucking faggot. If you touch me again you’re gonna get it.” I don’t know what the hell he was trying to do but I beat him up pretty bad. Think I killed him.”(88). Aaron knew nothing of Matthew’s beliefs, views, and opinions on anything; he only knew Matthew was gay. Sexuality based violence such as this is still pervasive in society today. For example, look at the role of homophobia in sports. In 2015 a study on homophobia in sport was conducted, the study was conducted to see how many athletes witnessed homophobia in Sport, unsurprisingly the U.S. was the country with the largest reportings of homophobia in sport: “The study found the U.S. had the highest percentage of gay men reporting that they had received verbal threats in a sports environment, and the highest percentage of gay men who heard slurs. In fact, of the six countries surveyed, the U.S. ranked worst in sports homophobia and discrimination.” It is remarkable that many label the United States as the most progressive countries in the world, yet the United States as a whole can’t escape homophobia in one of its most common pastimes, sports. These verbal attacks are characteristic of intense homophobia and show how little American homophobia has