Matthew Shepard, 1976 - 1998

Image from The Matthew Shepard Foundation on Instagram

In 1998, I recall all too well hearing on the news about a young man who was found in Wyoming, tied to a fence and beaten nearly to a literal pulp and left for dead. And I recall the news covering the details of such a shocking attack, and the fact that the victim of this hate crime was a young gay man, Matthew Shepard. And I recall very well his death six days later, October 12th at 12:53 a.m. I wept. For him and his loving family and for the life he would not get to lead. But also for all the other gay men and women whose lives had been ended at the hands of a criminal filled with irrational fear of and hatred for another human being's life. But ultimately for me ... because that could have been me, so many times, tied to a fence and left in the cold and night, to die alone. I escaped my attackers but others were not so lucky.

Out of his senseless and savage death came a sense of resolve where concrete changes took root.

The Matthew Shepard Foundation was created by his parents, Judy and Dennis. The Foundation works in schools, communities and with faith leaders to reduce hate and replace it with understanding.

Angel Action was started by Romaine Patterson, one of Matthew's friends.

The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (H.R. 1592) ws introduced in March of 1999 but frustratingly, was not signed into law until over 10 years later, by President Obama on October 28th, 2009. During that 10 year period, the legislation was introduced and reintroduced in several different forms in a fairly rancorous back-and-forth, roughly along expected party lines (though not always so). Supporters, mainly Democrats, framed it as an overdue civil rights update to address violence intended to terrorize entire communities. Opponents countered that it was either an unnecessary federal expansion into state prosecutions, or that it created different classes of victims. The Bush White House leaned hard on the states rights angle. Some conservative critics used tired diversionary tactics and latched onto so-called "thought crimes" concerns. Supporters pointed to First Amendment carve-outs and argued the bill punished violent conduct, not speech. But the culture wars of the time, especially around LGBT protections, made it a proxy fight for a lot of bigger debates.

But most importantly, Matthew's ashes are interred in a crypt in the Washington National Cathedral in D.C. To be interred there is a rare and profound honor, reserved for individuals whose lives hold particular significance in the nation's story (the last figure to be interred there was Helen Keller some 50 years before). Matthew Shepard's resting place there acknowledges not only the tragedy of his death, but the enduring place his life and legacy have come to occupy in America's long struggle for equality and human dignity.

Many years ago, I performed nine different roles in a marvelous production of the powerful stage play "The Laramie Project" here in Northern California, where I relived his destruction and the trauma it represented for our community. During this International LGBT History Month, I am remembering Matthew, his death, the continuing echoes of his loss for our community, and the resulting cultural changes. R.I.P. Matthew.

https://www.matthewshepard.org/