Matthew Shepard

Matthew Wayne "Matt" Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) was an American student at the University of Wyoming who was beaten, tortured, and left to die near Laramie, Wyoming on the night of October 6, 1998, and died six days later at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado, on October 12, from severe head injuries.

Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson were arrested shortly after the attack and charged with murder following Shepard's death. Significant media coverage was given to what role Shepard's sexual orientation played in the killing. During McKinney's pretrial and trial, testimony was given that the pair had pretended to be gay in order to gain Shepard's trust in order to rob him. McKinney's prosecutor argued the murder was premeditated and driven by greed, while McKinney's defense counsel argued that McKinney had only intended to rob Shepard, but had killed him in a rage when Shepard made a sexual advance. McKinney's girlfriend told police that he had been motivated by anti-gay sentiment, but later recanted her statement, saying that she had lied because she thought it would help him. Both McKinney and Henderson were convicted of the murder and each sentenced to two consecutive life sentences.

Matthew Shepard Foundation

The Matthew Shepard Foundation is an LGBT nonprofit organization, headquartered in Casper, Wyoming, which was founded in December 1998 by Dennis and Judy Shepard in memory of their son, Matthew. The Foundation works to “Replace hate with understanding, compassion, and acceptance” by continuing to tell Matthew’s story and through education, outreach, and advocacy programs.

Programs

The Matthew Shepard Foundation has online and offline programs designed to raise awareness of anti-violence and promote human dignity for everyone by engaging schools, companies, and individuals in dialogues.

Laramie Project support

The Laramie Project is a play created in the aftermath of Matthew's 1998 murder. The Matthew Shepard Foundation works with companies, colleges and universities, high schools, community theatres, and religious groups to provide a variety of services including media resources, historical background and context, creative consultation, and assistance with school curriculums related to the play. The organization has worked with productions all across the United States, as well as Canada, Australia, France, and the United Kingdom. They work in collaboration with the play’s creators, Tectonic Theater Project, and travels to different communities to lead post-show discussions, teach, and serve as a panelist for related community-wide discussions on creating safer communities.