Activism

Erase Hate -Thinking of Matthew Shepard

Hate and bigotry are alive and well. It’s going to take all of us to fight it, and that fight is unending.

Author wearing his Matthew Shepard Foundation “Erase Hate” tee. Photo credit: Author

Matthew Shepard was beaten to death 24 years ago this month in Laramie, Wyoming. He was hospitalized for 6 days after the beating, and succumbed to his injuries.

I had just moved to Denver, CO two months before Matthew Shepard was murdered. Laramie is not far from Denver, nor is Fort Collins, CO, where he was hospitalized and died. Both felt very close.

His attack and murder shocked me. It didn’t surprise me as much, but it definitely hit me hard. Two guys took him outside of town, tied him to a fence, and beat him. Then they left him.

Because he was gay.

He was 5'2" tall with a super-thin build.

Matthew Shepard. Photo credit: Matthew Shepard Foundation.

He was no threat to them.

Unless you think that being openly gay to apparent masculine, heterosexual men is a threat.

When he was found, his tears had frozen to his face.