18 years ago, on October 7, 1998, a 21-year-old college student at the University of Wyoming was brutally attacked by fellow classmates. He was beaten, tormented, and tied to a fence in the town of Laramie, Wyoming. 5 days later, on October 12, he died in a hospital in Colorado. This student was Matthew Shepard, the target of a hate crime that would change the world.
Matthew was born in 1976 in Casper, Wyoming. He grew up surrounded by family and had a close relationship with his younger brother. He attended school in Wyoming until his junior year of high school, when he moved to Saudi Arabia with his family. While there, he attended The American School in Switzerland—since there were no American schools in Saudi Arabia. As a student, he was appointed as a peer counselor. Although it is claimed that he was bullied for much of his high school career—made fun of for having a small build and being too delicate—he remained a big advocate for acceptance and equality. It was during this time when Matt really grew into himself. He served as a great support system and mentor to his peers. People enjoyed talking to him and his friends stayed close by his side. He positively affected the people he encountered and was very generous to those around him. Matt received a lot of support and guidance from the people close to him, especially his parents. His parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard, knew Matt was gay since his freshman year of college. He struggled coming out to them, but was welcomed with a great deal of support and love once he told them.
Matt suffered from depression and panic attacks for a while before he returned to Wyoming. This was instigated by a high school trip to Morocco, where he was beaten and raped. He spent years in and out of hospitals, remaining under close watch.
When it came time for Matt to enroll in college, he chose to return to his home state to attend the University of Wyoming. He had been enrolled in a few other colleges before; however, he decided to settle and try to finish his education in Laramie. Starting in the fall of 1998, he began studying political science, foreign relations, and foreign language. Once he arrived in Laramie, he quickly began to meet people and make good friends. He was generally received as a kind-hearted, optimistic person. He was also never afraid to speak his mind. Being very outspoken in promoting equality, it became a well-known, popular fact that Matt was gay. Living in a small town in Wyoming, this appeared as a somewhat foreign idea to a lot of people there. However, most people didn't have a problem with him and only had positive things to say.
Laramie, Wyoming
Until October 6, when everything changed. Matt was at a local bar when he ran into two fellow students, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. They lured him out of the bar and out to a large field. This is where his classmates tied him to a fence and brutally beat him with the butt of a pistol, leaving him outside to die. The two claimed they only intended to rob him until he supposedly made sexual advances on them. 18 hours later, he was discovered by a student riding his bike. The student, Aaron Kreifels, initially thinking that Matt was a scarecrow, finally realized the hair on the lifeless body and immediately called the police.
Matt was then quickly transported to a hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado. It was discovered there that he had suffered from severe skull fractures and brain damages, limiting the blood regulation to his heart. It was also discovered that Matt was HIV positive. The officers working on the scene were advised to get tested as they might have cuts in their hands that could have been exposed to his blood.
On October 12th, after unconsciously fighting for his life while remaining on life support, Matt was pronounced dead. Following his death, people around the world began to speak up. Hundreds of candlelight vigils were held in remembrance, and advocacy for the rights of LGBT people was widely promoted. Matthew Shepard's story provoked a societal dynamism like never seen before. Communities came together in protest of what had happened to the Wyoming student.
The two students accused of murdering Matt were arrested and put on trial. Initially charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, and aggravated robbery, the two were finally charged with first-degree murder. Both received life sentences in prison without parole.
These events would soon become known as one of the most prominent hate crimes in history. It was determined that Matt was murdered for being gay. This sparked a lot of outrage and prompted movements throughout the country. These movements ended very successfully, resulting in the Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, which served to provide safety to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. This is also known as the Matthew Shepard Act.
Also in response to these horrific events, the play, "The Laramie Project" was created. Devised by the Tectonic Theatre Company, this play focused on the many people in Laramie, Wyoming. Classified as a piece of Documentary Theatre, the members of the company interviewed the people of the town. They were asked questions that ranged from their relationship to Matthew Shepard, to how they felt about the LGBT community throughout Laramie and the rest of the country. This play was significant and vital in telling Matt's story. It provided the accessibility for people to read, hear, and see the true events through the eyes of the people living in Laramie. The play was then adapted into a film, reinstating the importance of the events while expanding the audience outreach.
The Laramie Project // Tectonic Theatre Project
Started after his death, Judy and Dennis Shepard founded the Matthew Shepard Foundation. This was created to honor his life and showcase his passion. It also constituted a place to teach parents to love their children regardless of sexuality. Still relevant today, this foundation promotes equality for everyone and establishes the idea that all children should be loved and accepted for who they are. Judy and Dennis continue to travel and share Matthew's story. They are major advocates for LGBT people everywhere, as they use their experience to relate and react to others.
As we look at Matthew's story, we see just how violent and terrorizing hate crimes have the potential to be. Recently, the 2016 shooting Orlando nightclub shooting proved again just how gruesome these crimes can be. Entering the popular gay nightclub with a gun, Omar Mateen shot and killed 49 people, while injuring 53 more. This act was ruled a hate crime against the LGBT community and the people inside the club. While this traumatic was incredibly tragic, we were able to witness people coming together to support the victims. This is a direct reflection on how the country treated the Matthew Shepard case. Instead of having prejudice or holding grudges, people were able to recognize the LGBT community as, not only human, but humans who needed help.
18 years later, we are able to look back and reflect on what happened to Matthew Shepard. His story sparked almost 2 decades worth of fighting for equality and representation. Along with his parents' vigorous support and outreach, the country was able to come together and form significant and impacting responses. While we are still fighting to gain total equality without prejudice, we have been able to come a long way. Since Matt's death, we have witnessed notable progression, including the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States in 2015. Without Matt's continuous support for equality and acceptance—that has continued even after his death—we wouldn't be where we are today. His ideas have been preserved and his legacy has endured time.
In 2016, we have come far, but we still have work to do. Keep going, persevere, and love one another. Together we can do exactly what the world did 18 years ago; unite.
