Affective aesthetics of violence

In this chapter, Sikk examines how Matthew Shepard’s murder continues to shape media representations and public perception of anti-LGBTQ violence. Widespread media attention to Shepard’s murder solidified the image of a white, young, cisgendered gay man as the transnationally iconic face of anti-LGBTQ violence. Yet, statistics continue to show that trans women of color remain most vulnerable to street, police, and structural violence. Even with increased coverage of violence against trans women of color in recent years, the images that broadcast this violence are of low quality and show women in overly sexualized full body shots, which stand in stark contrast to the professional black-and-white images of Shepard. The criminalization of people of color makes it difficult for the public to see nonwhite queer bodies as victims. This essay considers the history of LGBTQ activism, provides a close reading of mainstream media coverage of recent LGBTQ attacks, and argues that Shepard’s legacy – the current white mainstream middle-class aesthetics of anti-LGBTQ violence – further perpetuates and legitimizes violence against trans women of color.