Shepard's murder helped the cause of hate-crimes legislation. If Jesse Dirkhising had been a gay youngster tortured and killed by straight men, the story would have gone national in a heartbeat. There is a double standard in the national media and it is driven by ideology, not the pursuit of truth. Third is the continuingly bizarre case of Peter Singer, Princeton University ethics professor and Executive Director of the ethics institute at that institution. Such logic can, of course, also justify pedophilia and just about everything else.
Singer is a utilitarian in ethics.
He seeks the greatest pleasure for the greatest number. There are no ethical absolutes and as long as pleasure is the goal, there are no reasonable boundaries. I remind you that this is not an advocate from the fringe of our culture. Singer is a tenured professor at one of our most prestigious Ivy league institutions, heavily endowed and very influential. He is a cultural elite who is helping set the culture's agenda.