Argumentative Essay: What Are Hate Crimes?

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Hate Crimes Universities and Colleges are supposed to be a safe haven for students who have dreams and ambitions, but what happens when a person is being threatened, abused, or bullied because they have a different sexual preference. When a young person finally graduates from high school they are ready to face the world and conquer their dreams, but when making the decision of “coming out of the closet” like many young people say and let everybody around them know that they are gay there should not be any consequences. Everybody should be free to express themselves. Many young adults attend local colleges or travel miles away from their families to become somebody, should be allowed to freely express their sexuality. For the past couple…show more content…
Most don’t even report them because of fear and shame. In 2010 as reported by the Los Angeles times “ An-18-year old gay man from Texas allegedly slain by a classmate who feared a sexual advance. A 31-year-old transgender woman from Pennsylvania found dead with a pillowcase around her head. A 24-year-old lesbian from Florida purportedly killed by her girlfriend’s father, who disapproved of the relationship” (Romney,2011,). These are only some the cases that are being reported and are reflected through the hate crime stats for 2010 and 2011. In 2008 there was a drastic and tragic turn in the LGBTQ community. Matthew Shepard a 21 year old gay student at the University of Wyoming was killed for being gay. Shepard (2014), “The horrific events that took place shortly after midnight on October 7, 1998 went against everything Matthew embodied”. This young man was tied to a wooden fence and brutally beat and left to die. He was found 18 hours later by a cyclist who had mistaken him for a scarecrow (Shepard,2014). He fought for his life but five…show more content…
AIDS, not gay community, is real enemy: [Final Edition]. The Calgary Herald. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/244004638?accountid=458 Jason, R. A. (2003, July 23). Bible Condemns Gay Marriage: [FinalEdition]. PelhamNEWS.Retrievedfromhttp://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/359286260?accountid=458 Shapiro, L. (2012, June 2). Highest Number Of Anti-Gay Murders Ever reported In 2011: The National of Anti-Violence Programs. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/02/anti-gay-hate-crimes-murders-national-coalition-of-anti-violence-programs_n_1564885.html Romney, L. (2011, July 13). Hate crimes against gay, transgender people rise, report says. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/13/nation/la-na-lgbt-hate-crimes-20110713 Shepard, J. (2014). Matthew's Story. Retrieved from http://www.matthewsplace.com/matthews- story New Details Emerge in Mathew Shepard Mrder. (2004). Retrieved from http://www.abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=277685&page=1&singlepage=true The United States Department of Justice. (2014). Retrieved from

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