Last week I posted a question for the upcoming Republican YouTube debate (below) submitted by Lynn and Pat Mulder, the parents of Ryan Keith Skipper, who was brutally murdered last spring in Florida.
This weekend, The Ledger profiled the couple, who since Ryan’s death have become active, along with Ryan’s brother Damien, in pushing for hate crimes legislation. They created a PSA for Equality Florida which I’ve posted above.
The Ledger reports: “Becoming public figures for gay rights was not something they hesitated to do – once Pat Mulder got over her fear of public speaking. ‘Do we sit and do nothing or do we become advocates and make something good out of a tragedy?’ asked Lynn Mulder, 49. Activism helps them heal and cope, Pat Mulder said. She admits to not taking much part in politics before her son’s death, but the religion-based bigotry they have encountered – a protester in St. Petersburg told Lynn Mulder he was going to hell – as well as the lack of federal legal protection afforded to victims targeted for their sexual orientation spurred them to make the video Nov. 14. ‘People can believe whatever they want to believe, but they shouldn’t use it to jeopardize lives,’ Pat Mulder said.”
The couple’s YouTube question has more than 15,000 views, a number they hope will increase the likelihood that it is chosen for inclusion in the November 28 debate.
Slaying of Gay Son Turns Auburndale Couple to Activism [the ledger]
