10 December 1998: Man of the Year

I was watching the gay cable news here in Manhattan and discovered the Matthew Shepard was in the lead on Time Magazine's website for candidates for Man of the Year, their annual year-end cover. He was in the lead over both Clinton and Starr. They were both trailing horribly. When I checked, our Matthew was up there with more than 48,000 votes while the President and his Torquemada were trailing with just four-digit votes.

The tragedy is that Matthew Shepard is dead. That boy has done more by simply being brutally beaten to death than either the President or Stalin, I mean, Starr, in terms of inspiring people. Dozens of websites like this one memorialize Shepard, and hundreds more have been driven to coming out, being more active, devoting themselves to involvement. At least a few hundred activists here in New York have been spurred into more action.

I don't think that could be said of Clinton. I am sure that cannot be said of Pinochet, I mean, Starr.

Matthew Shepard, Man of the Year? I think so, whether he wins or not. It's so clear the will of the people is not heeded in this country. So I'll decide for them.

Matthew Shepard. Man of the Year. For the man he was and the man he could have been. For the man who never would've expected this sort of attention. For the man who's name is far more remembered than his assassins, who are rotting in jail, awaiting trial.

Matthew Shepard. Man of the Year.

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Copyright (c) 1998, Seth J. Bookey, New York, NY 10021, sethbook@panix.com