Nashville, TN -- Gay rights advocates, led by a Wyoming man whose son's 1998 murder became a rallying cry for protecting gays and lesbians through federal hate crime laws, on Wednesday accused Tennessee lawmakers of feeding anti-gay prejudice by introducing bills that deal with homosexuality.
Dennis Shepard, the father of Matthew Shepard, said legislators are encouraging the bullying of gay, lesbian and transgendered people with bills aimed at them. These bills have contributed to the suicides of two Tennessee high school students in recent weeks, both of whom had complained of being bullied in school, Shepard said.
"That should be discouraged from day one," Shepard said. "These bills disturb me, just the fact that they've been brought to the forefront and there's so much publicity about them."
In Nashville to speak Thursday at a hate crimes conference with his wife, Judy, Shepard's appearance at the state Capitol was intended to discourage lawmakers from pressing ahead with bills that curb discussions about homosexuality in schools, restrict transgendered people from using public facilities and amend anti-bullying laws to protect controversial statements about homosexuality.
More protections suggested
Shepard and other gay-rights advocates said Tennessee lawmakers should instead extend the state's hate crimes laws by adding protections for gender identity. They also criticized recent statements by state Rep. Richard Floyd, R-Chattanooga, to the Chattanooga Times Free Press in which he said he would "stomp a mudhole" in any man who tried to use a woman's dressing room while it was also being used by his wife or daughters.
Floyd said later that he feels sympathy for the Shepard family but stood by his statement.
"I don't advocate anybody beating someone to death, and as long as they're not a threat to my family, I wouldn't, either," Floyd said. "But I would protect my family at any cost, at any time and in any way I could."
Matthew Shepard was killed in 1998 by two men, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, who pretended to be gay to lure him from a Laramie, Wyo., bar. The two men beat and robbed Shepard before leaving him tied to a fence on the Wyoming prairie. He died less than a week later.
McKinney and Henderson confessed to the crime and were given life sentences.
The murder became a rallying point for proponents of hate crimes legislation that protects sexual orientation. That campaign led President Barack Obama to sign a federal hate crimes measure in 2009 named after Shepard and James Byrd Jr., a black Texas man who was dragged to his death in 1998.
Gay rights advocates called Wednesday for using Tennessee law to extend those protections, especially to transgendered people.
They said recent legislation has moved in the opposite direction, and they hoped Shepard's appearance would lead lawmakers to reconsider their proposals.
Topic resurfaces
Legislation dealing with homosexuality has been a frequent point of contention since Republicans took full control of the General Assembly in 2011.
Last year, lawmakers passed a law that reversed a new ordinance that required contractors that do business with the city to follow its rules protecting employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Senate also passed a bill that restricts discussions about homosexuality in elementary and middle schools, which opponents have labeled the "Don't Say Gay" bill.
State lawmakers also have been pressed to take up a measure that would amend school anti-bullying policies to protect controversial statements -- particularly about homosexuality -- that are rooted in political or religious views.
David Fowler, a former state senator who has been pushing the bill, says it is needed to protect the First Amendment rights of students, who are sometimes subject to bullying by administrators who disagree with their stances.
But Shepard said just presenting such bills sends a message that gay bashing is acceptable.
"That does encourage it," Shepard said. "What it does is say, well, nobody's going to do anything... It creates a policy of, 'It's open season. I can do whatever.' And that's what happened to Matt."
In recent weeks, Republicans have made some moves to try to defuse the controversy surrounding these bills.
A hearing on the 'Don't Say Gay' bill was delayed shortly before it was to take place last week. The delay headed off a protest opponents had planned for the day of the hearing.