A service commemorating the 25th anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepard is being held at Washington’s National Cathedral on Thursday night.
Shepard was a 21-year-old University of Wyoming student who was brutally assaulted and left to die because he was gay. His murder shocked the community of Laramie, Wyoming, and the world.
Rev. Anne Kitch, a relative of Shepard’s and an Episcopal priest, spoke at his funeral 25 years ago. She’s delivering a sermon at Thursday night’s service.
In it, she remembers carrying Shepard’s ashes to his funeral in Casper, Wyoming in 1998. She says homophobic protestors carrying hateful signs shouted at her and her family as they approached the church:
“25 years ago
I carried Matt’s ashes in my lap
as my spouse drove us to the church for the funeral
our one-year-old safely buckled…
