In October, 1998, a 21-year-old college student at the University of Wyoming was kidnapped, beaten, tied to a fence in the small town of Laramie, Wyoming, and left to die. His name was Matthew Shepard. His attackers, Russel Henderson and Aaron McKinney, targeted Matthew because he was gay.

Matthew was sitting at a local bar, The Fireside, when Henderson and McKinney pretended to flirt with him to lure him into their car; they then drove him to a field where they beat him, robbed him, tied him to a fence, and left him to die. Matthew wasn't found until the next day and, after several days of hospitalization, passed away on October 12, 1998.

This tragic hate crime brought national attention to LGBT issues. In fact, Matthew's brutal murder brought so much attention to the town of Laramie that a theater group, the Tectonic Theater Project, traveled to Laramie to create a play about Matthew.

Over the next year, Moises Kaufman and the members of the Tectonic Theater Project recorded over 200 interviews with the residents of Laramie, and compiled the transcriptions into a play: The Laramie Project.

While Matthew Shepard's murder may have been 17 years ago, the hatred that led to his death still exists today. Many LGBTQ+ youth are victims of hate speech and crimes. Even with the passing of recent Marriage Equality legislation, the LGBT community continues to suffer at the hands of both hatred and neglect. The Laramie project has shown that tolerance is not the same as love and acceptance, which all people need and deserve, regardless of their sexual orientation.

On Monday, October 12, the 17th anniversary of Matthew Sheppard's death, members of the Merced Community will gather to perform a staged reading of this important play. Many UC Merced students, staff and faculty as well as Merced county community members will be joining in this performance, co-sponsored by the UC Merced Center for the Humanities, UC Merced Merritt Writing Program and Project Big Top.

If you are in the Merced area, come to Vault Works (1666 N St) on Monday, October 12, at 8pm for a free performance of this compelling work; join us as we remember the life and tragic death of Matthew Shepard and shed light on some serious social issues for the LGBT community.