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Twenty-five years later: Remembering Matthew Shepard at the Branford Green
October 12 @ 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
On Thursday, October 12, Trinity, Branford, together with First Congregational Church and First Baptist Church of Branford, will host an event at 6 PM on the Branford Green marking the 25th anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepard and honoring his legacy towards the advancement of LGBTQ+ rights.
Matthew Shepard was a 21-year-old gay student at the University of Wyoming who was brutally beaten and left to die on a fence in 1998 by two men who targeted him for his sexuality.
In the aftermath of Matthew’s death, his parents Judy and Dennis Shepard started the Matthew Shepard Foundation to promote love and acceptance for LGBTQ+ persons, and to advocate for the advancement of LGBTQ+ rights. In 2009, President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Matthew was an Episcopalian, and, appropriately, in 2018, on the twentieth anniversary of his death, his remains were moved to their final resting place at the Washington National Cathedral.
All are welcome! Please plan to attend. Matthew’s death was tragic and should never be forgotten.
