Rest in Peace Matthew Shephard

It's been 10 years since a young college student named Matthew Shephard was beaten to death and left hanging like a scarecrow on a fence simply for being himself.

Shortly after midnight on October 7, 1998, east of Laramie, Wyoming, 21-year-old Matthew Shepard was pistol whipped, tied to a fence in a remote, rural area in freezing temperatures, and left to die by two men--Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson--because he was gay. Shepard was discovered by a cyclist eighteen hours later, still alive but unconscious. The cyclist first mistook him for a scarecrow.

He had suffered a fracture from the back of his head to the front of his right ear causing severe brain stem damage, which affected his body's ability to regulate heart rate, body temperature, and other vital signs. His injuries were deemed too severe for doctors to operate. Shepard never regained consciousness and remained on full life support. He was pronounced dead at 12:53 a.m. on October 12, 1998, ten years ago today.

Hate crimes still continue largely unchecked today. The solution? Education and love. So let's spread the word. Educate people with love and the knowledge that being gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or otherwise is no crime, but beating someone to death because you don't like them is.

October is full of opportunities to spread the love. You can support someone you know when they come out to you on national coming out day, educate yourself and others about GLBT history, celebrate World AIDS Day by remembering the dead lost to HIV/AIDS, and remember your loved ones on Dia de los Muertos/The Day of the Dead. Let's remember our history so we may move forward in new and better directions!