Remembering Matthew Shepard

It's hard to believe that ten years have passed since Matthew Shepard was beaten and left to die on a fence post outside of Laramie, Wyoming. Matthew had been kidnapped by two guys who pistol-whipped the 21 year-old college student on the night of October 6, 1998. Matthew died at a hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado on October 12, 1998.

I can remember the uproar that swept the nation when the news of this hate crime was released. I was just one year older than Matthew at the time of his murder. One week prior, I had interviewed with a GLBT television show in Houston, Texas. I accepted a position as a television reporter, covering the entertainment scene.

I will never forget the call I received from my producer on October 13, asking if I was available to cover a candlelight vigil for Matthew Shepard. The news of his death and the heinous hate crime washed over me and left me with sudden fear. It was a reminder that as a gay man I was not safe in this world.

It was a hot, rainy night on Tuesday, October 13, 1998, when hundreds of Houstonites gathered in a park near downtown. The area was illuminated by lights from TV camera crews, including my own crew with TV Montrose. I was armed with a small pad of paper, a pen and an umbrella. I was ready to interview speakers in the speech lineup, including openly lesbian city councilwoman, Anise Parker.

Looking out over the lawn, I witnessed women and men of all races and backgrounds standing in the rain, candle in hand, singing "We shall overcome..." The vigil was very emotional for many attendees, including myself.

After taking notes from several interviews, I was ready to do my on-camera take. I reached into my pocket to pull out my pad of paper. To my dismay, all of my notes had been smeared by the rain. My first TV story, and by far the most important, was going to be a big challenge. My producer looked at me and told me not to worry. He said to speak from my heart. So, I tried my best to calm my nerves, remembering that the entire event was much bigger than me.

That night will always be etched in my memory as a defining moment in my life. That night I witnessed love and compassion in complete strangers. I sang with the crowd. I held my candle up high and I shed many tears while listening to the voices of hope and change reverberate from the speakers. That night changed me. One of my peers had been murdered for being gay. I will never forget Matthew Shepard.

I know I have this video in my archive somewhere. It's on VHS. I will do my best to get it digitized and uploaded soon.

Don't forget Matthew Shepard
December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998