Loved ones say young man's killing reflects difficult life gays...

In the after-midnight darkness of March 14, 2007, the blood of 25-year-old Ryan Keith Skipper soaked into the soft dirt as his killers drove away in his new Chevy Aveo.

[Vicki]

Thank you, Orlando Sentinel, for telling Ryan's story.

[Chuck]

Thank you for this article. It's very important for the world to know about what happened here in our community. Especially this week, not only with the anniversary of Ryan's murder, but with the outrageous statements made by Oklahoma Representative Sally Kern equating Gay People with terrorists. It is this public bigotry which fuels the culture of complacency to violence against gay people.

Tonight (3/13) in Lakeland the documentary about Ryan's murder will be screened for free at Florida Southern College. Information at www.clipTampaBay.com .

The Film's director will be in attendance. Everyone should see this film.

[Chester DeGrasse]

Vicki wrote:

Thank you, Orlando Sentinel, for telling Ryan's story.

Yes thank you.

[Belinda]

Thank you Orlando Sentinel for finally covering this story. Its a year later and more gay children have died because of right wing bigotry. Its time for good people - gay and straight - to say enough is enough and fight back. Please continue to cover this story.

[rjp3]

The murderous HATE KILLINGS of GAY MEN by STRAIGHT SUPREMISTS will be remembered like they LYNCHINGS of BLACK MEN by WHITE SUPREMISTS.
We are reliving another time of horror as the dominate group of AMERICANS tries to retain power using the bible and terrorism as a way to retain control.
Brave straight men and women need to speak up and take a stand --- your gay and bisexual brothers and sisters can not do it alone (although they have been working very hard).
The twisting State Rep from OKLAHOMA - Sally Kern declared her own gay son worst than a"terrorist" and she
worked to terrorize an entire community by demonizing them and turning a mob against them.
PEACE AND LOVE

[Tom]

Good reporting. The story of this tragedy continues to reverberate within Central Florida. Thanks.

[Tonya]

I wish that his mom had more audio or video of him. It makes me so sad that "Thats not a smile" is all she will ever hear him say. As a mother of a 7 year old son, I am outraged that there are people that want to harm someone for there sexual orientation. Everyone hug your children, and please teach them tolerence.

[Debbie]

Thank you very much Jeff for writing a factual story about Ryan. In order for things to change, the media/Orlando Sentinel has to inform the public about this kind of hatred so that it can be challenged and ultimately eradicated.
Please encourage your family, friends and colleagues to take a stand by contacting their local, state and federal representatives to tell them Ryan's story and demand that anti discrimintation/hate legislation be passed into law immediately. If they won't do it, vote against them!

[Henriette Wayne]

In every case, the murderous thugs say, "He (the victim) came on to me." Don't be fooled; don't believe it. They just say this because their lawyers tell them this defense sometimes works. And in the past, unfortunately, it has worked.

[Pachacutec]

May this young man rest in peace; what a shame that a young life was cut short by a couple of bigots.

[God Bless You]

"Love one another" the Bible says, what it doesn't say is that this only applies to white, black, asian, african, gay or straight people.

We are all God's children and he sure loves us all. Who are we to say otherwise? It doesn't matter how different our beliefs are, there is no excuse for what happened to Ryan and continues happening to many people in this country (in this world). Who made them God for a day and gave them the authority to decide over a human being's fate?

I pray for his soul and for his family and friends who now have to live their lives without the joy of seeing him and enjoying his presence.

I am a Latin American woman and believe me, it isn't easy being a foreigner, a woman and on top of that an intelligent individual in this country. I consider myself to be successful, I am a mom, a wife, a college graduate and a business owner; I love my family and my friends (yes even the gay ones), it makes no difference to me if they are straight or not and my gay friends have ALWAYS been there for me when I needed them no matter what. The toughtest part is being criticized for not shutting up, I don't care what most people think or say about me, I will never hide who I am just to fit in, that is just the way I am, and most people don't like it, I guess it comes across as being stuck up or something, which I am not but I say what I think. I am a Christian and believe in God, therefore I shouldn't judge others by their sexual orientation, I think that makes me fail what I profess.

Thank you for sharing this heart breaking story with all of us who didn't know (heard) about it.

May God Bless you Ryan.

Tonya wrote:

I wish that his mom had more audio or video of him. It makes me so sad that "Thats not a smile" is all she will ever hear him say. As a mother of a 7 year old son, I am outraged that there are people that want to harm someone for there sexual orientation. Everyone hug your children, and please teach them tolerence.

[Brian]

Barney Frank Maybe it is time for you to move on....

[Scrapiron]

This young man would have been well advised to stay out of Polk County and other regions that are not "gay friendly". I mean REALLY, go to South Beach or Key West..........Just as a parallel, a white man would not take up residence in Paramore or the result would be the same.

[JW Morrison]

Everyone has the right to a life and no one should take it because they are different.

The problem is not only the right wing people but also the left wing people who try to force their ideals done other's throats.

Both sides are equally at fault here. While I choose not to live a g/l lifestyle I respect their choice to do what they desire to do. I have no hate or bad feelings toward g/l folks.

Fear is what causes this type of pain. I see the same thing with the sex offender registry. Fear of some possible harm.

I see this fear on the right and the left as they talk of environmental meltdown or terrorists in our backyard.

What I do not see is calm, intelligent, and reasonable people sitting down to realize that we all bleed, we all have feelings, and we are all humans.

This young man died for his lifestyle and those who killed him should pay. But the same is to be said of someone who kills a sex offender, or a muslim, or a Mormon, or anyone that people may not agree with.

Personally, I believe this people in this world get upset with their lives that they want someone else to feel their pain and they don't care who it is as long as they get supposed relief.

[eaglecoach04]

Okay but this has ran long enough-Place in the archives-There has to be other news to report

[Lisa]

Being gay,lesbian,bisexual,transgend er is not a lifestyle. Just as being heterosexual is not a lifestyle,it is just a small part of what makes us all human...it is called sexuality. Ryan did not die because of his "lifestyle". He died because of someone else's hatred and inhumane behavior! Thank you Orlando
Sentinal for covering this story. When we no longer have to bury our GLBT children then these stories have run long enough!

[Richard in Orlando]

Scrapiron wrote:

This young man would have been well advised to stay out of Polk County and other regions that are not "gay friendly". I mean REALLY, go to South Beach or Key West..........Just as a parallel, a white man would not take up residence in Paramore or the result would be the same.

Don't forget Orlando is VERY gay friendly.

[Scrapiron]

Richard in Orlando wrote:

<quoted text>
Don't forget Orlando is VERY gay friendly.

It's also THUG friendly.

[Richard in Orlando]

Scrapiron wrote:

<quoted text>
It's also THUG friendly.

It does look like you might be right on that. Another reason why I enjoy going back up north to Pennsylvania during the summers, where there is much less crime.

[Debbie]

The Orlando Sentinel is to be commended for covering this story and exposing the atrocious behavior of Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd for the readers. Judd should be FIRED for repeating the words of the murderers as facts! Polk County is an example of the many rural areas in Florida and the nation that have this imbedded cultural/institutional hatred toward the GLBT community which is based on fear, ignorance and teaching. Many of the churches are TEACHING their congregations to hate, feeding the ignorance and leading them to violent assault and murder. They too must be held responsible for the murder of Ryan Keith Skipper.

It's time for the hatred, masked as compassion to END.