A Welcome Message
Stephen V. Sprinkle
Welcome to the Unfinished Lives Project, a place to remember and honor LGBTQ hate crime victims.
Our mission is to reveal the reality of unseen violence perpetrated against people whose only “offense” is their sexual orientation; to make anti-LGBTQ hate crime statistics available to our communities; to educate about the nature of hate crimes and how it affects LGBTQ and other communities; and to eliminate hate crime through social justice and awareness activities. On our website, we’ve dedicated pages and posts to achieve our mission:
- The Unfinished Lives Home Page
- LGBTQ Hate Crime Victims
- Statistics about Hate Crimes in America
- The Miscarriage of Justice for LGBTQ Victims
- How the Media Contribute to the Invisibility of Hate Crime
- Our Project’s Efforts to Eliminate Hate Crime
- Our Presentation for Community Education and Awareness
- The Groups and Organizations Who Support Our Mission
A near brush with anti-gay hate crime in the late 1990’s in Fort Worth, Texas, shocked me awake to the reality of violence against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people across America. As a graduate school professor, my pursuits are usually quiet ones, preparing for class, and doing my research. But my quest to understand the effects and causes of hatred against people because of their difference has made me stare into the face of radical evil: the sort that kills.
Because of my work and research, I have learned how much all of us need each other–especially all of us who are members of racial/ethnic, religious, differently-abled, female, and LGBTQ communities. I have learned how vital the work of advocacy is. I have learned how precious life itself is, and how fragile. For this project, I have interviewed relatives, bereaved lovers, co-workers, neighbors and friends, journalists, and law enforcement officers who had direct knowledge about the women and men who died so brutally because of ignorance, prejudice and fear. It has been the journey of a lifetime, and in a strange way, though I am a teacher, these deceased LGBTQ people have become my teachers.
I want to convey to anyone who will listen that it is possible by hope to bring something beautiful and meaningful out of the ugliest realities of American life. Every time I meet a mother or lover, a friend or an advocate of one of these murdered LGBTQ people and share their stories, the intentions of the killers and the haters are frustrated, and the hope for a better, more just society somehow springs to life from the ashes.
I dedicate this website to the victims and to all those working for a better world. Thank you for visiting with us, and for joining us in our pursuit for a world free of violence and fear.
I hope you will visit us often, and join the struggle for change.
Sincerely,
Stephen V. Sprinkle
Director
The Unfinished Lives Project
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About
If you are a first-time visitor to the Unfinished Lives Project website, we invite you to read A Welcome Message introducing you to our project. We are truly grateful for your visit.
The Unfinished Lives Project website is a place of public discourse which remembers and honors LGBTQ hate crime victims, while also revealing the reality of unseen violence perpetrated against people whose only “offense” is their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender presentation. LGBTQ people in the United States are suffering a slow-rolling decimation of terror and murder all across the country. Every locale and demographic of society are affected: First Nations, Anglo, Black, Latino and Latina, South and Southeast Asian, Transgender, Bisexuals, Gay men, Lesbians, disabled, young, and mature. Homophobia has a long, crooked arm, and it is reaching out to snatch the life away from women and men whose tragic stories are under-reported to begin with, and whose memories are swiftly forgotten.
The horror of these killings transcends the shock and bereavement of loved ones and friends. These are not typical homicides; they are not killings for money or drugs, incidents of domestic strife, or crimes of passion. The vicious nature of hate crimes against LGBTQ persons is extremely brutal, grotesquely violent, and egregiously hateful.
Each murder serves the LGBTQ population as a sobering warning about the actual level of danger in our communities. The message these killings send is that freedom and open life for LGBTQ people is a cruel dream. Every time we remember one of these victims, however, the intentions of their killers are frustrated. To remember these women and men is to begin the process of changing the culture that killed them.
Our Project Director
Dr. Stephen V. Sprinkle (Keith Tew photo).
Stephen V. Sprinkle is Director of Field Education and Supervised Ministry, and Professor of Practical Theology at Brite Divinity School, Fort Worth, Texas, a post he has held since 1994. An ordained Baptist minister, he is the first open and out Gay scholar in the history of the Divinity School, and the first open and out LGBTQ person to be tenured there. Read More…
Recent Social Justice Advocacy Activity By Dr. Sprinkle
Summer 2009 – Dr. Sprinkle responded to the Fort Worth Police Department and Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission Raid on the Rainbow Lounge, Fort Worth’s newest gay bar, on June 28, 2009, the exact 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion. Dr. Sprinkle was invited to speak at three protest events sponsored by Queer LiberAction of Dallas. Here, he is keynoting the Rainbow Lounge Protest at the Tarrant County Courthouse on July 12, 2009. Read More…
Contact Us
Communicate with the Unfinished Lives project team:
info@unfinishedlivesblog.com
Schedule a Presentation
Dr. Sprinkle will gladly present his acclaimed presentation to your organization. To arrange an Unfinished Lives presentation for your organization or group, please contact us.
Dr. Sprinkle has given his Unfinished Lives presentation to these and other community groups and organizations. Read More…
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Where are our readers?
Publisher: Steve Sprinkle (Project Director)
Steve Sprinkle
Unfinished Lives: Remembering LGBT Hate Crime VictimsBrite Divinity School/Texas Christian UniversityFort Worth TXprofessor, minister, author, blogger, LGBTQ advocate
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Unfinished Lives 
This is an incredible project and sadly, so necessary, as the danger and reality of hate crimes continue to plague innocents.
Rev. Sprinkle- Thank you for your years of hard work. I enjoyed hearing you speak at our Church, Cathedral of Hope, a few weeks ago. God Bless.
Thanks, Lane!
Rev. Sprinkle – it was great hearing you speak at the event in Columbus this past weekend. Very powerful speech and message. I have a similar story and project that has developed from my experience – after a brush with anti-gay violence a few years ago, I decided to start collecting and sharing the stories of those most closely connected to the victims of murder and suicide. I joke that the Unfinished Lives Project is like my idea said better than I could ever say it, but in all seriousness, I want to thank you for your years of hard work and this incredible project. It was awesome to meet you in person!
Thank you, Meg. It was a wonderful experience to be with you in Columbus. And I appreciate the encouraging words very much!
Steve Sprinkle
I just have something to say about these killings of trans and lesbians in Texas especially.Texas for one is a very horrible state sometimes far as race or sexuality just to start with truth people were killed brutally by some dumb stupid no life person who is probably still on The loose because i feel nothing is being done to find these killers who have homophobia .Texas not really trying to slove the cases of the dead and if the police said they are they are lieing they feel its wrong and these dead people were freaks of nature and thats goes for other state’s as well Texas just top of list of hate crimes.All these trans murders and shooting,beatings when did God put so many people encharger to judge and take a other person life because this man dont prefer being with a woman or this woman Dont prefer to be with a man or she change her mind she Dont want a man she fail for a stud lesbian or she Dont like your money or sex or how you trying to impress your homeboys she still prefer a woman not a man .Im really hurt to see these reports of deaths in the lgbt its sad to see investigation is still Going It said in some of these murders especially the hate state of all gay bashing Texas.Something needs to be done or in due time just like he hit Louisiana with that big storm years ago God gonna speak again cus God is of love not hate .Im not a lesbian or gay just sadden that lies to help these families of victims of hate probably have no closer just lies of we trying our best to slove the case but deep they know some of these police feel he shouldn’t been dress like a girl or she like a boy.Something need to be done so the dead of the lgbt be remember and not forgotten.