The only parts of his face that were not covered in blood were the small streaks where his tears had fallen
Thirteen years ago, on October 6, 1998, Matthew Shepard was brutally attacked and left to die, simply because he was gay.
He was found almost a full day later tied to a fence, and died in the hospital on October 12.
When he was found, the only parts of his face that were not covered in blood were the small streaks where his tears had fallen.
Since that day, Matthew has become a symbol for the hate and discrimination against the LGBTQ community. We have come so far in those thirteen years, but we still have a long way to go.
Interesting fact: one of the two individuals who attacked Matthew was Mormon.
Reference
One of the two killers, Russell Henderson, was a young Mormon Priesthood holder (a little-known fact within the Church, but confirmed by reporter Paula Glover of the Cheyenne Tribune-Eagle). This is not to say the Church was responsible for Russell Henderson’s actions. The point is that through these pamphlets, a culture of fear, ignorance, and intolerance is permitted to exist within the Church. Russell Henderson pled guilty and thus avoided a trial. In the trial of the other young man, Aaron McKinney, one of the primary – but unsuccessful – defenses was “Gay Panic” (“he came on to me and I was so upset by his homosexuality that I beat him to death”).
