Remembering Matthew Shepard, Then and Now

Saturday is the fourteenth anniversary of the day Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, beaten, tied to a fence outside of Laramie, Wyoming, and left to die.  After being found a day later, he held on for six days until dying on October 12, 1998.  His murder brought hate crimes perpetrated against LGBT persons into the international media and dialogue.

At the time, I was a frightened, closeted seminarian. Here is a link to my essay on The Huffington Post, in which I reflect upon Matthew's murder: "Confessions of an Ex-Priest: Matthew Shepard and Laramie -- Their Meaning Then and Now."

Photo via HRC.