Around midnight on October 6, Matthew was taken from a bar by two men to a place about a mile outside of Laramie, Wyoming. There, the men took him out to a split-rail fence, mercilessly beat him with a pistol, tortured him, then tied him up onto the fence, and left him for dead. He was found about 18 hours after the brutal attack. When the bikers first saw Matthew tied to the fence, they thought that what they saw a scarecrow. Matthew remained in a coma until October 12, when he left this world at 12:53 am with his family at his side. One of the men who killed Matthew used gay panic as a defense. Homophobia killed Matthew when he was 21 years old.

There is good reason to believe Matthew Shepard was killed for for being gay. Unfortunately, Matthew is not alone. He is not the only person to die as a result of fear and hatred of gay people. In the few years since Matthew was murdered, other young gay people have been killed. This web site is intended to help stop homophobia in all its forms, including lesbophobia and biphobia. By remembering Matthew Shepard and reflecting on what might have been, we can understand the danger of homophobia.

To read about a Matthew Shepard Christmas ornament, made within weeks of Matthew's death click here.