10th anniversary of Mathew Shepard’s Death

Mathew Shepard was murdered ten years ago. October 12th, 2008, will mark the 10th anniversary of
Matthew Shepard’s death. The anniversary is a reminder that hate
should be replaced with understanding, compassion and acceptance.

The horrific event took place shortly after midnight on October   7, 1998 .

Two men, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, lead him to a remote area
east of Laramie where they demonstrated unimaginable acts of hate.
Matthew was tied to a split-rail fence where he was beaten and left to
die in the cold of the night. Almost 18 hours later he was found by a
cyclist who initially mistook him for a scarecrow.

Hate Crime Legislation

•    The murderers were not charged with a hate crime, as no Wyoming
criminal statute provided for such a charge. Under current US federal
law and Wyoming state law, crimes committed on the basis of sexual
orientation are not prosecutable as hate crimes. While a bill was
introduced into Wyoming Legislature, the measure failed on a 30-30 tie
in the Wyoming House of Representatives.

•    At the federal level, President Bill Clinton renewed attempts to
extend federal hate crime legislation to include gay and lesbian
individuals, women, and people with disabilities. These efforts were
rejected by the US House of Representatives in 1999. In 2000, both
houses of Congress passed such legislation, but it was stripped out in
conference committee.

•    On March 20, 2007, the Matthew Shepard Act (HR1592) was
introduced as federal bipartisan legislation in the US Congress,
sponsored by Democrat John Conyers with 171 co-sponsors. Matthew’s
parents, Judy and Dennis, were present at the introduction ceremony.
The bill passed the House of Representatives on May 3rd, 2007. Similar
legislation passed in the Senate on Sept 27, 2007, but President Bush
has indicated he may veto the legislation if it reaches his desk.