Ryan Skipper: the inspiration behind the National Rainbow Memorial
It all started in March 2007 as I was watching the local news and heard of a young man who had been murdered for being gay. His name was Ryan Skipper, and he would later become the inspiration for the National Rainbow Memorial, not to mention a Gay American Hero.
At 25, Skipper was your everyday bighearted, handsome young guy living out of the cage of shame and fear in Polk County, Florida, which is located between Orlando and Tampa. It takes a lot of courage and strength to live as an LGBT person in an area where the presence of the KKK is prominent. It’s also home to a local sheriff who implied that Skipper got what he deserved because he was out looking for sex. To date, that sheriff has never apologized to Skipper’s family for his insensitive statements.
Skipper, who was openly gay, was attacked in his own car. His body was found on the side of a road, his throat slashed and as many as 20 stab wounds covered his torso. The two cowards who brutally murdered Skipper were convicted and are serving two life terms with no possibility of parole. Unfortunately, Skipper’s death is part of an alarming statistic: one LGBT person is murdered every nine days, and one gay bashing occurs every six hours in America.
Since his death, Skipper’s parents have started a PFLAG chapter in Polk County and are fighting hate on the frontlines. His brother is on the Gay American Heroes advisory board and has traveled to Washington, D.C. and met with President Barack Obama as part of a coalition to get a national hate crime law passed.
It’s time to show the world our heroes because our family and friends are being stolen from us because of hate. We will not live in fear, but rather face the ongoing violence against the LGBT community head on. We will be united in this fight for respect, dignity and protections under the law. It is through awareness, education and perseverance that we will prevail and honor the lives of all our Gay American Heroes.
Teach love, fight hate, save Lives and give Hope – The National Rainbow Memorial.
