Rears Debate NEWSWEEK Story on a Gay Murr

MATTHEW SHEPARD: THE LEGACY OF A GAY LLEGE STUNT 20 YEARS AFTER HIS BTAL MURR

Matthew Shepard was abducted, beaten and killed 20 years ago bee he was gay. * young gay and murdered *

Twenty years ago, Matthew Shepard was a "smart, funny" 21-year-old, no different than any other young man that was an "ordary kid who wanted to make the world a better place, " his parents October 1998, that all changed, when the openly gay llege stunt was abducted, beaten and tied to a fence life end a few days later, and wh me a wispread awarens of the dangers that members of the LGBTQ muny face every day. The homophobic btal killg also served as a talyst for progrs Ameri's laws and the two s that have passed, however, remas batable how far the untry has e sce the shock of that crime.

YOUNG, GAY AND MURRED JUNR HIGH

They later nfsed they had "veloped a roe which they'd pretend to be gay to w Matt's nfince, " Marsn said. (MORE: 'Gay panic' fense still ed vlence s may be banned by new feral bill)McKney h Shepard about 20 tim the head and face wh the end of the pistol, Marsn said, before the two stole Shepard's sho, got their tck and drove back to town.

Agast the gay muny until after he grew up to bee very terted ternatnal human rights, particularly women's rights the Middle East and Asia, and he studied polil science, said Marsn. "Everybody he met, he said, 'Jt to let you know ahead of time, I'm gay, '" Dennis Shepard said. "The natn mournsThe shockg homophobic crime the sparsely-populated state garnered natnal sympathy.

Members of the Wtboro Baptist Church protted the funeral, picketg wh anti-gay Fred Phelps and his parishners traveled om Kansas to Laramie for the funeral and trial, prottg wh brightly lored signs and spewg hatred. McKney went to trial, and fense attorneys argued his vlent actns were "gay panic" -- a reactn to Shepard makg a sexual advance. "When the fense gets out there and starts talkg out of, the victim's flt, you know, 'gay panic, '...

FLORIDA TEEN KILLED BY MAN WHO FEARED BEG OUTED AS GAY, POLICE SAY

"The "gay panic" fense is still legal most stat but has been outlawed a few.

McKney has cled to speak to ABC News while Henrson did not immediately rpond to a requt for WashgtonShepard's murr shed a light on the spe of feral hate crime laws, which at the time did not clu sexual orientatn or genr gay activists monstrate the streets of North Hollywood to prott agast the ath of Wyomg Universy stunt Mathew Shepard, Oct. 13, Mata/AFP via Getty Imag FILEDemonstrators prott the hate killg of gay stunt Matthew Shepard, Oct. Matthew Shepard was tortured and murred 1998 and was targeted for beg gay, acrdg to wns.

"Beyond the feral hate crime law, the years sce Matthew Shepard's ath, among the most substantive legislative ws for the LGBTQ muny were the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell 2010, so gay ary members n serve openly whout fear of beg dismissed, and the legalizatn of same-sex marriage across the untry 2015.

THE TTH BEHD AMERI’S MOST FAMO GAY-HATE MURR

Michael Loccisano/Getty Imag, FILEFor Judy Shepard, one of the bt signs of cultural progrs is seeg Gay Straight Alliance groups rampg up schools. In Wyomg, where there's a populatn of jt 500, 000, she said there are 19 Gay Straight Allianc.

Larry was shed to the hospal, where he died two days later of bra Larry Kg shootg beme the most proment gay-bias crime sce the murr of Matthew Shepard 10 years ago.

There are gay characters on popular TV shows such as "Gossip Girl" and "Ugly Betty, " and no one seems to notice.