.png)
Caution: The content of this post describes violence and homophobia.
Who Was Matthew Shepard?
Matthew Shepard was a young, gay American from Wyoming whose tragic death sparked outrage across the country and led to many improvements in hate crime legislation.
Life and Death
Shepard was a political science major at the University of Wyoming. Often described as being kind and empathetic, Shepard cared deeply about equality, diversity, and respecting others' beliefs.
His mother reported that when Shepard was in high school, he was attacked and sexually assaulted during a trip to Morocco. This, she said, began a steady decline in his mental health as he grew increasingly withdrawn and depressed. By the time he was in college, Shepard struggled with drug abuse and suicidal ideation.
Shepard's Murder
On the night of October 6, 1998, Shepard was approached by Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson at a bar in Laramie. The two offered to give Shepard a ride home, but instead drove him to a remote rural area and proceeded to rob, beat, and torture him, tying him to a fence and leaving him for dead. The next morning, he was found unconscious by a cyclist and taken to the hospital. Shepard died just six days later.
Hate Crime
Testimonies at the time confirmed that McKinney's actions had been fueled by homophobia; the pair identified Shepard as a target for robbery, pretended to be gay to lure him in, and then McKinney panicked and attacked when Shepard placed a hand on his knee. In contrast, Henderson's lawyer denied that Shepard's sexuality had anything to do with the murder.
Legacy
Shepard’s tragic passing has led to many improvements in hate crime legislation. Legislation started in the Wyoming House Of Representatives, continued through President Bill Clinton, and was finalized with President Barack Obama on October 28th, 2009, making discrimination towards members of the LGBTQ+ community a hate crime.
On October 26, 2018, a little over 20 years after his death, Matthew Shepard’s ashes were interred at the crypt of the Washington National Cathedral, the first interment there since Hellen Keller in 1968.
While he is no longer with us, Matthew’s name lives on through the Matthew Shepard Foundation, an LGBTQ+ non-profit organization in Casper, Wyoming, as well as a play called “The Laramie Project."
Reference
Bindel, Julie (October 25, 2014). "The truth behind America's most famous gay-hate murder". The Guardian.
Brooke, James (November 21, 1998). "Witnesses Trace Brutal Killing of Gay Student". The New York Times.