Remembering Matthew Shepard: 13 Years Later

Wednesday is the 13-year anniversary of Matthew Shepherd’s death and the news has created an Internet buzz. Matthew Shepard was a gay Wyoming college student who was brutally murdered in 1998.

Two years ago, the violent federal hate crimes were expanded to include crimes committed because of a victim’s gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. This is called the Matthew Shepherd Act of 2009.

In October of 1998, the world was stunned when Matthew Shepherd a Laramie, Wyoming college student, was kidnapped, tied to a fence post, beaten and left for dead. Matthew Shepherd was killed for being gay. Several weeks later, New York City based Tectonics Theatre Company traveled to Laramie to interview townspeople, which was eventually used as the material for the award-winning off Broadway play and HBO movie called the “The Laramie Project.”

21 states have passed non-discrimination laws that include gays and lesbians, but the state of Wyoming refuses to pass it.(source)

Matthew Shepard Foundation: http://www.matthewshepard.org/

It Gets Better YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/itgetsbetterproject

The Trevor Project: http://www.thetrevorproject.org/