Adams Vigil Honors Hate Crime Victim

Hours after President Clintonsigned the budget bill into law yesterday, ending the 105th Congressional session and effectively halting debate on pending hate crime legislation, members of the College community gathered to remember Matthew Shepard, the gay University of Wyoming student whose murder put that legislation in the spotlight.

Resident tutors, students and their friends met late last night in the Adams Lower Common Room to remember Shepard, who died last Monday, the victim of an apparent hate crime.

The gathering was also an opportunity to discuss in a comfortable forum issues of sexual identity and campus tolerance raised by Shepard's murder, attendees said.

Rodney M. Glasgow '01 said he was at the event both because he wanted to remember Matthew Shepard and has been touched by his death.

"I find this personally horrifying," he said. "All my friends have been discussing it. I'm here first and foremost to honor the deceased...I'm here to honor the dead and pay honor to the living."

More than 60 people attended the event, organized and hosted Diana R. Graham '93 and Carsey Yee, Adams House's designated tutors for sexual orientation.

The room's couches were full and people sat on the floor, but one chair remained empty, reserved, Yee said, for Shepard.

After mingling and enjoying hot cider and cookies, those present listened to fellow attendees sing and read news articles and anecdotes about Shepard. They were also led in nondenominational group prayers.

Yee began by advising everyone to "take a deep breath and relax."

"Life energy should flow," he said, adding that he didn't want anyone to leave saddened.

While emotional fallout from Shepard's death was the impetus for the gathering, its hosts stressed that their main goal was to foster open discussion on any and all pertinent subjects.

"Our intent in organizing [the event] was to acknowledge what's happened and give people a forum to express how they're feeling," Graham said. "[Shepard's death] brings up a lot of different things for different people."

Shepard's death focused national attention on hate crime legislation, which Wyoming and nine other states lack.

The proposed Hate Crimes Prevention Act would have amended existing federal hate crime statutes to include those based on sexual orientation, disability and gender.

Kristy R. Johnson '00, who is from Wyoming, said "I'm here in support of [Shepard] and because it saddens me that such acts of violence are inflicted upon homosexual individuals in my home state."

She added that she believes Shepard's death is reflective of hate, not just in Wyoming, but everywhere.

Adam A. Sofen '01, co-chair of the Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender and Supporters' Alliance, echoed that sentiment, saying Cambridge is not safe from such acts of violence.

"We are not immune from this," said Sofen, who is also a Crimson editor. "We cannot be complacent about this. Hatred can happen anywhere and it can touch all of us."