Matthew Shepard's impact 28 years after his tragic murder
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Twenty-eight years after Matthew Shepard’s life was savagely taken, the country is still fighting for inclusiveness and safety for LGBTQ+ individuals in an ever-turbulent world that is seemingly moving backwards politically.
On October 7, 1998, Matthew Shepard, an openly gay college student, met with peers making plans for an upcoming LGBT awareness week.
After going to a local dive bar alone, Shepard left with Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. The two men were allegedly “strangers” who drove Matthew to the outskirts of town and horrifically tortured him.
Authorities believed the two men pretended to be gay to lure Matthew with them with the intention to rob him.
Matthew was found 18 hours later, tied to a fence, badly beaten and fighting to stay alive. The young University of Wyoming student died six days later, succumbing to his injuries. He was just 21 years old.
An autopsy later found Shepard was struck in the head 19- 21 times, severely damaging his brain stem.
McKinney and Henderson were arrested and found guilty of Matthew’s murder after police confronted them and found the bloodied pistol and Shepard’s ID in their car. The case is regarded as “one of the most notorious anti-gay hate crimes in American history.”
Shepard’s death sparked massive change both socially and politically. Candlelight vigils were held across several states and left the nation in utter shock.
In 2009, Matthew’s slaying was a focal point in then-President Barack Obama signing the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law.
The legislation saw federal prosecutions extended for crimes based on gender, gender identity, disability, or sexual orientation.
After Matthew’s tragic killing, his parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard, created the Matthew Shepard Foundation with a mission to share their son’s story and stand up for LGBTQ+ people and communities.
The organization is still active today, educating, encouraging, and inspiring others through retellings of Matthew's life story.
“It is our sincerest hope that, one day, the Foundation may be able to close its doors. But the same hate and violence that sparked the Foundation’s formation still exists today,” reads a mission statement on the foundation's website. “Both at home and abroad. “
Today, Matthew's life and legacy serve as a reminder of the ongoing fight still at the center of America's history of hate.