Universy of Wyomg stunt Matthew Shepard, who was openly gay, was btally beaten October 1998 by Aaron McKney and Rsell Henrson. Shepard died several days later. The cint received ternatnal media verage and ntu to spark ntroversy about hate crim. Shepard’s parents, Judy and Dennis, tablished a foundatn Matthew’s name, which ntu s pro-LGBT tnal work today.
Contents:
- MATTHEW SHEPARD: THE LEGACY OF A GAY LLEGE STUNT 20 YEARS AFTER HIS BTAL MURR
- WHAT IT'S LIKE TO GROW UP GAY IN WYOMG AFTER MATTHEW SHEPARD'S MURR
- IN WYOMG, SCENE OF FAMO GAY HATE CRIME AN UNLIKELY LGBTQ HAVEN
- THE TTH BEHD AMERI’S MOST FAMO GAY-HATE MURR
- WNS TRACE BTAL KILLG OF GAY STUNT
- SLA GAY STUNT REMEMBERED AS 'ANGEL WH NEW WGS'
- MAN IS CONVICTED KILLG OF GAY STUNT
MATTHEW SHEPARD: THE LEGACY OF A GAY LLEGE STUNT 20 YEARS AFTER HIS BTAL MURR
* laramie gay student *
6, 1998, Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old Universy of Wyomg stunt who was openly gay, went alone to the Firi Lounge Laramie after a meetg of the mp LGBT (Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenr) stunt group and a quick stop at the Village Inn. Shortly after midnight, Shepard left the bar wh McKney and Henrson; police and prosecutors would assert that the two men lured Shepard, perhaps unr the pretense of themselv beg gay, but fact wh the tent of robbg him.
In his police nfsn, McKney repeatedly scribed Shepard as “a queer, ” “the gay, ” and “fag. By McKney’s own nfsn, rroborated most tails by Henrson, McKney told Shepard that the two men were not gay and that he was gog to be robbed.
Ed Andriki, The Associated their 36 hours of preparatn and travel, the story of the attack spread om lol to regnal to natnal media, unrsred by the reports om several of Shepard’s iends that he was gay and their fears that he had fallen victim to an anti-gay hate crime. After his effort to mount a “gay panic fense” was led out by Judge Barton Voight, McKney’s unsel, prosecutor Cal Recha and the Shepards agreed to a siar plea barga for nsecutive life sentenc and McKney’s agreement not to speak to the media about the se, a provisn he would repeatedly vlate later years. Wyomg legislators 1999 nsired a state-level hate crime bill that extend to anti-gay and -lbian crimal motivatns, but the measure failed the state Hoe on a 30-30 tie on two nsecutive days and has not sce been serly bated.
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO GROW UP GAY IN WYOMG AFTER MATTHEW SHEPARD'S MURR
Matthew Shepard was abducted, beaten and killed 20 years ago bee he was gay. * laramie gay student *
“Gay Stunt Attacked Wyomg, ” Oct. “Friends and Strangers Mourn Gay Stunt Wyomg, ” The New York Tim, Oct.
Losg Matt Shepard: Life and Polics the Aftermath of Anti-Gay Murr. 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.
IN WYOMG, SCENE OF FAMO GAY HATE CRIME AN UNLIKELY LGBTQ HAVEN
If he hadn't been killed 1998, Matthew Shepard would have turned 41 today. As a gay stunt Wyomg, I grew up aaid of the homophobia that ntributed to his ath — but queer people here are workg toward a new future. * laramie gay student *
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. 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.
"He said, 'Mom I'm gay. "Everybody he met, he said, 'Jt to let you know ahead of time, I'm gay, '" Dennis Shepard said.
THE TTH BEHD AMERI’S MOST FAMO GAY-HATE MURR
Laramie (Uned Stat) (AFP) - Nearly 25 years ago, the btal murr of Matthew Shepard -- a gay llege stunt Wyomg who was beaten, tied to a fence * laramie gay student *
Agast the gay muny until after he died, " he said.
WNS TRACE BTAL KILLG OF GAY STUNT
Police vtigator ttifi at hearg Laramie, Wyo, for Aaron McKney, one of two men acced of murr of Matthew Shepard, gay stunt at Universy of Wyomg; says McKney told of tntg Shepard for beg homosexual before savagely beatg him wh pistol butt; McKney will stand trial on charg of first-gree murr, robbery and kidnappg; other spect, Rsell Henrson, has waived his right to prelimary hearg and will be arraigned on same charg; spects' girliends, Kristen Price and Chasy Pasley, will be arraigned as accsori after the fact; photo (M) * laramie gay student *
"The natn mournsThe shockg homophobic crime the sparsely-populated state garnered natnal sympathy. A ndlelight vigil is held for Sla gay Wyomg stunt Matthew Shepard, Oct.
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, '...
SLA GAY STUNT REMEMBERED AS 'ANGEL WH NEW WGS'
"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.
MAN IS CONVICTED KILLG OF GAY STUNT
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. Eighteen hours later, a cyclist found the gay stunt tied to a fence, beaten, burned, and atose wh a actured skull.
What It's Like To Grow Up Gay In Wyomg After Matthew Shepard's MurrIf he hadn't been killed 1998, Matthew Shepard would have turned 41 today. As a gay stunt Wyomg, I grew up aaid of the homophobia that ntributed to his ath — but queer people here are workg toward a new future. I didn’t feel safe enough to accept who I was as a gay person until a few years after I left that sert and me to Laramie, Wyomg.
While his ments didn’t necsarily surprise me given the homophobia I had experienced growg up Rock Sprgs, they did make me realize that we had to e together — and keep g together — to rist the assumptn that LGBT people are somehow rponsible for their own opprsn.