October 7th, 1998

This post mentions assault, guns, homophobic actions and slurs, hate crimes, gore, death,

 and murder. If you are triggered by any of these things, please read with caution.

Photo Credit: Philip N. Cohen

A memorial for Matthew Shepard.

Photo Credit: US Civilization

Matthew (Matt) Shepard was only 21 when he was killed.

 Aaron McKinney and Russel Henderson, both also 21, abducted Matt on the night of October 7th, 1998 and left him to die tied to a split-rail fence in the desolate town of Laramie, Wyoming after brutally beating him with the butt of a pistol. It is estimated that the attackers hit Matt over 18 times in both the face and the head, cracking his skull and the bones at his right ear and completely destroying his brain-stem. Cuts covered his face, face, and neck and his airway was blocked by the blood that filled his mouth. It took almost an entire day for Matt to be found by a bicyclist passing by who originally mistook his unconscious, blood covered, and mangled body for a scarecrow. In critical condition, Matt was taken by medical staff to a hospital in Colorado where his condition was called too severe for any sort of treatment. He remained in a coma on full life support until he took his final breath mere days later. 

Matthew Shepard was a hard-working student at the University of Wyoming. He was studying political science, foreign relations, and linguistics, a passion brought on by the teen years he spend living in Switzerland. At both the American School in Switzerland and the high school he attended until his junior year in Wyoming, he was elected Peer Counselor by his classmates. Those who knew him have described him as friendly, a good listener, well liked, easy to converse with, and passionate about the well-being and equal treatment of others. Matt had friends all over the world.

And yet the news of his death was not met by sorrow for all. What was supposed to be a private, family-and-friends only funeral to mourn Matthew's life was bombarded by protesters. Men, women, and young children gathered with signs saying things like "Matt in Hell" and openly supporting the two men who murdered him. They argued that Matt deserved what happened to him and that the actions taken Aaron McKinney and Russel Henderson that night were completely justified by the fact that Matthew Shepard was gay.

  

A protester outside of Matthew Shepard's funeral.

Photo Credit: Syracuse University Magazine     

   Fred Phelps Sr., founder of Westboro Baptist Church, protesting in favor of Matthew's death.

Photo Credit: Daniel Beekman

To Be Continued...

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Gay: Someone who identifies as male and is attracted to other males, or an umbrella term for anyone who is sexually attracted to their own sex.