October 12, 1998 - Matthew Shephard

Human Rights a Day

Victim of violent gay-bashing, Matthew Shepard dies in Laramie, Wyoming. Two male thugs with a hatred for gay men lured Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay freshman at the University of Wyoming, from Laramie, Wyoming’s Fireside Bar & Lounge. They tortured and beat him, then left him tied to a wooden fence in the October cold. A cyclist who spotted the 105 - pound, five-foot-two student 18 hours later, initially thought he was seeing a scarecrow. Rushed to a hospital, Shepard caught the attention of the American media, and soon vigils were in force around the world, especially in the U.S. Sadly, he died on October 12, 1998. Many well-wishers attended his funeral, but so did members of extremist religious groups, who held up signs with messages like “God hates fags.” Shepard’s parents established the Matthew Shepard Foundation, and his mother, Judy, still travels the world promoting hate-crimes legislation and tolerance.