While reading The Laramie Project, I became very emotional. I would assume that most readers, including my classmates, felt the same way.
The entire play was excerpts from interviews about the beating and murder of Matthew Shepard because he was gay. Clearly, this is a very sensitive topic in today’s world, and whether or not you agree with homosexuality, it is a very emotional story. Murder is not something to be taken lightly, and this play reflected that. The first person accounts of Matthew Shepard’s created a sense in the reader that this is something that is very real and could happen anywhere. In Laramie, Wyoming, homosexuality is frowned upon in general, but it is very clear throughout the story that the citizens do not believe it is a sin worthy of death. The reactions of Matthew’s friends and loved ones were the most touching. It brought to life the fact that he was indeed a nice boy, who had no intention of hurting anybody.
The Laramie Project was a truly upsetting story, but I think it did a great job of raising awareness of hate crimes and the story of Matthew Shepard.
