Jason Gage (1976 – March 11, 2005) was a 29-year-old gay man who was murdered in his apartment in Waterloo, Iowa, United States.
[1][2] The murder was compared by the national press to the slaying of Matthew Shepard and prompted a push for citywide laws protecting LGBT people.
He enrolled at the College of Hair Design in Waterloo, Iowa, in January 2003, and his friends said he dreamed of working in a big city salon.
During his time in Ohio, he decided he no longer wanted to be adopted and moved back into foster care at age 16.
In early 2003, Lawrence moved from Farmington, New Mexico, where he had been an oil worker to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to be with his girlfriend—Elizabeth Hostetler—who was six months pregnant with their child.
Police said Lawrence admitted he had fought with Gage, hit him with a bottle, and stabbed him in the neck with a piece of glass.
[8] The Iowa Code does not have a law defining murder based on racial or sexual bias as hate crime.
Another state law mentioned in Lawrence's case, titled "violation of individual rights," prohibits assaults, vandalism and trespass for reasons of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, age, or disability.
Friends and community members started a scholarship in Gage's name, and sold T-shirts and buttons with his image to raise money.
[6] A benefit to raise money for the scholarship fund was held at the city convention center and attracted numerous attendees.
About 20 Westboro members picketed six area churches and stood outside the convention center carrying signs and shouting that Gage was in hell.
[24] The plea allowed Lawrence to avoid admitting guilt while acknowledging that he would likely have been found guilty of Gage's murder had the case gone to trial.