Matthew Shepard: Remembering a Life

October 7th, 1998 began like every other day for Matthew Sheppard. He had no idea that his life and death would shake a nation. That evening, Matthew went to a bar where he met Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. McKinney and Henderson offered to give him a ride. Instead, they drove him to a remote location and brutally beat him. Matthew was found unconscious 18 hours later by cyclist. However, his injuries were determined to be too severe to operate on. He later died on October 12th, 1998. The acts committed by McKinney and Henderson are considered to be one of the most brutal hate crimes against the GLBT community. His death also brought much attention to the lack of laws against hate crimes.

In the ten years following his death, the Matthew Shepard Foundation has worked diligently to "erase hate" of all forms. Founded by Matthew's parents, the foundation strives to "Replace Hate with Understanding, Compassion & Acceptance" by telling Matthew's story.