[hate]

This is Sean Kennedy.

Sean should be about 21 years old right now. He could have been a student in the USM. He could have driven from South Carolina to UMBC to see a concert or a basketball game. He could have been my friend on Facebook or Myspace.

He could still be alive.

Sean was murdered as he exited a bar in May 2007, because he was gay. Sound familiar? It should, because Matthew Shepherd was also murdered after leaving a bar because he was gay, 10 years ago.

Neither of the states where the young men were murdered have hate crimes legislation, and Sean Kennedy's murderer received only three years in prison. Because federal hate crimes legislation does not cover sexual orientation, the FBI has no power to intervene and conduct their own investigation.

Find out more at seanslastwish.org. And next time you hear someone speak about the "homosexual agenda," remember that some of us are just trying to be able to go hang out at a bar without having to fear for our lives.

RIP Sean Kennedy.