Matthew Shepard (1976-1998)

Matthew Shepard (1976-1998) was a 21-year-old gay University of Wyoming student who was robbed, pistol-whipped, and left tied to a fence in near-freezing conditions outside Laramie, Wyoming in October 1998. He was found the next day and died on October 12 from his injuries. Widely understood as motivated by anti-gay hatred, his murder drew national and international attention and helped humanize anti-LGBTQ+ violence for millions of people. It inspired the acclaimed play "The Laramie Project" and years of advocacy that led to the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, signed into law in October 2009, which extended federal hate crime protections to sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity. His parents, Dennis and Judy Shepard, founded the Matthew Shepard Foundation to continue his legacy.