Matthew Shepard was an American college student who was attacked and murdered near Laramie, Wyoming in October 1998 at the age of 21. Shepard was openly gay, and his murderers had posed as homosexuals in order to lure him away from a bar, where they then drove him to a remote area and beat him to death. His murder was seen as evidence of the continuing violence LGBT individuals face, and influenced the later passing of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009. Up until this point, hate crime legislation included race, religion, and country of origin, but not sexual orientation. The Matthew Shepard Foundation was instrumental in the passing of the new hate crimes law and continues to provide support and resources for LGBT youth.
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