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[wind blowing]
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00:00:15,015 --> 00:00:17,385
[somber music playing]
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00:01:00,128 --> 00:01:01,729
[Bob Beck] A University
of Wyoming student
4
00:01:01,762 --> 00:01:03,897
was out riding
his mountain bike
5
00:01:03,931 --> 00:01:07,468
and he falls down,
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00:01:07,501 --> 00:01:08,736
looks up,
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00:01:11,405 --> 00:01:13,974
sees what he thinks
is a scarecrow
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00:01:14,007 --> 00:01:16,944
or a prank,
just because of Halloween
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00:01:16,977 --> 00:01:19,213
just around the corner,
which, of course,
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00:01:19,247 --> 00:01:20,414
this was early October,
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00:01:20,448 --> 00:01:22,250
and goes over to investigate,
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00:01:22,283 --> 00:01:24,585
and, of course, was horrified
by what he found.
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00:01:42,370 --> 00:01:45,005
[Rosie O'Donnell] I can still
see the description of him,
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00:01:45,038 --> 00:01:47,074
the biker who found him
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00:01:47,175 --> 00:01:49,176
and thought he was
a scarecrow...
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00:01:50,244 --> 00:01:53,614
of the deer,
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00:01:53,646 --> 00:01:57,185
that was keeping him
company all night,
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00:01:57,218 --> 00:01:59,187
and when he was found,
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the deer got up and ran away.
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00:02:02,590 --> 00:02:04,392
There's just a...
21
00:02:04,425 --> 00:02:08,996
A feeling
of divinity around him.
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00:02:09,029 --> 00:02:12,200
There's a feeling
of an angelic presence.
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00:02:28,882 --> 00:02:31,852
[O'Donnell] This is a child
who was loved and adored,
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00:02:31,885 --> 00:02:35,022
and in every way,
kind of, the boy next door.
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00:02:36,490 --> 00:02:39,393
This is a sign of rage,
something very personal,
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00:02:39,427 --> 00:02:41,728
something very terrifying
about that.
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00:02:56,577 --> 00:02:59,913
How cold he had to have been
tied to that fence
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00:02:59,947 --> 00:03:01,915
and not found for 18 hours,
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00:03:01,949 --> 00:03:03,484
and still be alive.
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[distant siren wailing]
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[Beck] They then took him
to Ivinson Memorial Hospital,
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00:03:30,478 --> 00:03:32,846
which is the local
Laramie hospital
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00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:35,816
to try and see
what they could possibly do.
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00:04:25,165 --> 00:04:26,700
[Beck] It was a mystery
to the officers,
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00:04:26,734 --> 00:04:28,736
okay, "Who is this person?
36
00:04:28,769 --> 00:04:30,871
Who is Matthew Shepard?"
37
00:04:43,984 --> 00:04:47,488
[somber music playing]
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00:04:47,521 --> 00:04:50,023
"Hey, Mom,
I'm writing to say hello.
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00:04:50,591 --> 00:04:51,925
How is everything?
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00:04:53,159 --> 00:04:55,629
I've been okay,
kinda homesick.
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00:04:55,663 --> 00:04:58,899
Having trouble with getting
into the swing of things,
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00:04:58,932 --> 00:05:01,068
but it won't last long,
I hope.
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00:05:03,203 --> 00:05:07,741
I've been real depressed
and I think it's let-down.
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00:05:07,775 --> 00:05:10,511
I came back and the weather
was crummy,
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00:05:10,544 --> 00:05:11,979
and I miss home.
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00:05:12,746 --> 00:05:14,047
Miss you.
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00:05:14,081 --> 00:05:15,816
Love, Matt."
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00:05:22,390 --> 00:05:26,960
[Eric Marcus]
Matthew Wayne Shepard was
born on December 1st, 1976.
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00:05:26,994 --> 00:05:28,696
And even though
he was a little guy,
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00:05:28,729 --> 00:05:30,531
he had a huge personality.
51
00:05:30,564 --> 00:05:33,401
Matthew was
a very emotional kid,
very empathetic.
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00:06:23,451 --> 00:06:24,217
[Judy speaks]
53
00:06:32,626 --> 00:06:33,727
[man chuckling]
54
00:06:36,263 --> 00:06:37,865
My name is Jim Osborn,
55
00:06:37,898 --> 00:06:39,800
and I was a friend
of Matthew Shepard.
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00:06:41,234 --> 00:06:43,837
The first thing
that I noticed about Matt
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00:06:43,871 --> 00:06:45,005
is his smile.
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00:06:46,006 --> 00:06:50,377
He just had this incredible
beaming smile.
59
00:06:50,478 --> 00:06:51,879
My name is Romaine Patterson,
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00:06:51,912 --> 00:06:54,615
and I was friends
with Matthew Shepard.
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00:06:55,783 --> 00:06:57,117
Oh, I loved his laugh.
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00:06:57,150 --> 00:06:58,819
I loved his smile more.
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00:06:58,852 --> 00:07:00,488
He had a great smile.
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00:07:00,488 --> 00:07:02,590
It beamed.
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00:07:02,623 --> 00:07:04,324
[Adam Lambert]
He was young.
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00:07:04,357 --> 00:07:06,126
Looked like
a sweet innocent guy.
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00:07:06,159 --> 00:07:07,761
Just looked like a nice kid.
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00:07:07,795 --> 00:07:09,597
[Osborn] It wasn't
just his mouth.
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00:07:09,630 --> 00:07:11,398
His eyes would kinda light up
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00:07:11,499 --> 00:07:13,567
and twinkle or sparkle at you,
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00:07:13,601 --> 00:07:16,570
and it was like
his whole body smiled at you.
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00:07:21,241 --> 00:07:24,111
Wyoming is like
a sleepy little town.
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00:07:24,144 --> 00:07:26,547
The whole state
is one sleep little town.
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00:07:27,848 --> 00:07:30,217
We're the least
populated state in the union.
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00:07:30,250 --> 00:07:34,755
We're sort of our own
little galaxy here.
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00:07:34,788 --> 00:07:36,824
We are geographically
enormous.
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00:07:36,857 --> 00:07:38,992
We're the 10th largest state
in the country,
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00:07:39,026 --> 00:07:42,663
but we have
the smallest population.
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00:07:44,131 --> 00:07:47,234
In 1998, even though
we're watching
Will and Grace,
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00:07:47,267 --> 00:07:50,170
we are the most conservative
state in America.
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00:07:56,877 --> 00:07:58,846
[Marcus] Growing up
in the '70s and '80s,
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you couldn't be different.
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00:08:00,313 --> 00:08:02,415
It was a kind of place where,
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00:08:02,449 --> 00:08:04,585
if you were
a stereotypical cowboy,
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00:08:04,618 --> 00:08:06,854
working on an oil rig,
you'd fit in.
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00:08:06,887 --> 00:08:09,990
But it wasn't like growing up
in New York City
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00:08:10,023 --> 00:08:12,926
or any of the major cities
in the country.
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00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:14,595
Unfortunately,
the word "faggot"
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00:08:14,628 --> 00:08:15,929
was sort of a go-to
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00:08:15,963 --> 00:08:17,430
whether or not
that had anything to do
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00:08:17,464 --> 00:08:19,567
with your sexuality or not,
that was just a word
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00:08:19,567 --> 00:08:22,469
that was used to describe
you as like a loser
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00:08:22,570 --> 00:08:23,704
or you as a different.
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00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:54,467
[Rannells] I am from Nebraska,
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00:08:54,501 --> 00:08:56,870
and I graduated
in high school in 1987.
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00:08:56,904 --> 00:08:58,005
Even though we were...
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00:08:58,038 --> 00:09:00,140
You know, Matthew and I lived
in very different cities
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00:09:00,173 --> 00:09:03,944
but it seemed like
he was a kid
that I very easily
99
00:09:03,977 --> 00:09:05,946
would have been friends with,
could have friends with.
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00:09:06,914 --> 00:09:10,183
He seemed like somebody
a lot of us knew.
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00:09:10,217 --> 00:09:12,786
He seemed like your friend
in high school
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00:09:12,820 --> 00:09:14,221
that probably was gay.
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00:09:15,823 --> 00:09:17,224
[Patterson] There's no denying
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00:09:17,257 --> 00:09:19,459
that Matthew was gay
and he knew that.
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00:09:19,492 --> 00:09:21,929
Like, if you looked
at Matthew,
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00:09:21,962 --> 00:09:23,363
you saw a gay man.
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00:09:23,396 --> 00:09:24,865
There was not a...
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00:09:24,898 --> 00:09:26,700
There was not even an ounce
of straight there.
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00:09:29,169 --> 00:09:31,104
In 1993,
as Matthew was finishing
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00:09:31,138 --> 00:09:33,106
his sophomore year
of high school,
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00:09:33,140 --> 00:09:35,242
his dad got a job
with an oil company
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00:09:35,275 --> 00:09:36,143
in Saudi Arabia.
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00:09:38,646 --> 00:09:41,682
As Matthew's family began
to move to Saudi Arabia,
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00:09:41,715 --> 00:09:44,184
Matthew settled on an American
school in Switzerland.
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00:10:02,269 --> 00:10:04,171
[Marks] So,
in the second semester
of his senior year,
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00:10:04,204 --> 00:10:06,506
he went with some friends
to Morocco.
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00:10:07,708 --> 00:10:10,277
Morocco at the time,
wasn't perhaps
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00:10:10,310 --> 00:10:12,713
the tourist destination
that it is today
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00:10:12,746 --> 00:10:15,548
and it wasn't known
for being particularly safe.
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00:10:17,651 --> 00:10:19,887
[Patterson] My understanding
of what happened in Morocco
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00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:22,355
was that on one
particular evening,
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00:10:22,389 --> 00:10:26,193
Matthew wanted to go out
and see things.
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00:10:26,226 --> 00:10:27,661
He didn't think,
"Oh, I should go out
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00:10:27,695 --> 00:10:30,563
with a group of people
in a place that
I'm unfamiliar with."
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00:10:30,597 --> 00:10:32,199
He just decided,
"I'm gonna go out.
126
00:10:32,232 --> 00:10:33,466
I'm gonna leave the hotel.
127
00:10:33,500 --> 00:10:34,768
I'm gonna wander around.
I'm gonna look at the shops."
128
00:10:34,802 --> 00:10:36,804
Things like that.
That's something
he totally would have done.
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00:10:37,871 --> 00:10:42,409
And while he was out,
he was snatched.
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00:10:48,982 --> 00:10:50,718
[Patterson] In Morocco,
a couple of men took Matthew
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00:10:50,751 --> 00:10:54,354
to a isolated place
and raped him.
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00:10:57,057 --> 00:11:00,527
At that time,
the idea that a young gay guy
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00:11:00,560 --> 00:11:03,263
is raped
by a group of adult men,
134
00:11:03,296 --> 00:11:06,066
people couldn't even fathom
that kind of stuff.
135
00:11:06,099 --> 00:11:08,235
And so, Matthew came back
to the hotel,
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00:11:08,268 --> 00:11:10,337
you know,
immediately told people.
137
00:11:10,370 --> 00:11:12,239
[Marcus] His parents
were contacted,
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00:11:12,272 --> 00:11:13,741
the police were notified
139
00:11:13,741 --> 00:11:15,142
but they never found
the attackers.
140
00:11:15,175 --> 00:11:16,309
It was a random attack.
141
00:11:16,343 --> 00:11:17,778
They had no idea who did it.
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00:11:18,645 --> 00:11:20,580
After the attack,
Matthew changed.
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00:11:20,613 --> 00:11:22,515
He wasn't himself.
144
00:11:22,549 --> 00:11:24,852
I think what happened
is he lost his sense
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00:11:24,885 --> 00:11:26,854
of safety in the world.
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00:11:29,356 --> 00:11:33,160
[Liam Cudmore] Being assaulted
is a traumatizing experience.
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00:11:33,193 --> 00:11:36,897
Trauma has deep,
lasting impacts
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00:11:36,930 --> 00:11:39,032
on someone's development,
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00:11:39,066 --> 00:11:42,135
their social development,
their emotional development,
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00:11:42,169 --> 00:11:43,837
their spiritual development,
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00:11:43,871 --> 00:11:45,472
and people
who experienced trauma
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00:11:45,505 --> 00:11:49,409
are at risk
of feeling suicidal,
153
00:11:49,442 --> 00:11:52,179
having poor mental health
like depression and anxiety.
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00:11:54,314 --> 00:11:57,350
In 1995, Matthew graduated
from high school,
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00:11:57,384 --> 00:11:58,886
returned to the US,
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00:11:58,919 --> 00:12:01,588
and he decided
to come out to his mom.
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00:12:01,621 --> 00:12:04,524
[Osborn] I definitely think
that Matt felt comfortable
158
00:12:04,557 --> 00:12:06,626
in his skin
and was comfortable being out.
159
00:12:07,460 --> 00:12:09,529
[Marcus] By the early '90s,
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00:12:09,562 --> 00:12:12,332
you have good things happening
in the cultural world,
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00:12:12,365 --> 00:12:15,268
with more representation
with gay people.
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00:12:15,302 --> 00:12:18,105
How many lawyers did you go
to before you called me?
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00:12:18,138 --> 00:12:19,606
Nine.
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00:12:19,639 --> 00:12:21,308
You're trying
to get rid of her
because she's gay.
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00:12:21,341 --> 00:12:26,079
I hadn't really come
to terms with my sexuality
until like 1984, '95.
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00:12:26,113 --> 00:12:27,881
And then, yes,
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00:12:27,915 --> 00:12:29,649
Ellen DeGeneres is a thing.
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00:12:30,217 --> 00:12:32,652
I'm gay.
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00:12:32,685 --> 00:12:37,090
In the late '90s,
there was a great
kind of boom for gay people.
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00:12:37,124 --> 00:12:39,592
There was more representation
on television.
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00:12:40,427 --> 00:12:42,562
Ellen had come out.
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00:12:42,595 --> 00:12:45,498
People fell in love
with Jack on Will and Grace,
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00:12:45,532 --> 00:12:49,837
an overtly,
outwardly gay character.
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00:12:49,837 --> 00:12:52,305
A question
of sexual orientation?
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00:12:53,974 --> 00:12:56,276
The doctor is in.
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00:12:57,410 --> 00:13:00,613
I think middle America
was becoming more comfortable,
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00:13:00,647 --> 00:13:02,449
you know, with the thought
that there are gay people
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00:13:02,482 --> 00:13:04,952
out there and that they are
just regular people.
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00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:10,223
And I think that gave Matthew
the sense of security
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00:13:10,257 --> 00:13:13,093
that he wasn't alone
and that he was in fact safe.
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00:13:14,862 --> 00:13:17,297
[Marks] Matthew later
bounced around
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00:13:17,330 --> 00:13:19,299
to a few different places.
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00:13:19,332 --> 00:13:22,302
He eventually wound up back
in Casper, Wyoming,
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00:13:22,335 --> 00:13:24,637
his hometown.
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00:13:24,671 --> 00:13:26,173
[Patterson] I went
to my first year of college
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00:13:26,206 --> 00:13:28,641
at Casper College
in Casper, Wyoming.
187
00:13:28,675 --> 00:13:32,880
I got to know one
of the instructors on campus.
188
00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:34,214
She called me one day
and she said,
189
00:13:34,247 --> 00:13:37,417
"I got this weird call today
from a therapist.
190
00:13:37,450 --> 00:13:41,688
And he's got a client,
and he would like
to introduce his client
191
00:13:41,721 --> 00:13:43,190
to other young gay people.
192
00:13:43,223 --> 00:13:44,992
Can I send him your way?"
193
00:13:45,025 --> 00:13:47,094
And I said,
"Okay. Sure. Why not?"
194
00:13:49,696 --> 00:13:53,200
And it's this awkward
young man named Matthew.
195
00:13:53,233 --> 00:13:54,801
He's like, "I'm trying
to meet some new people
196
00:13:54,902 --> 00:13:57,337
here in Casper
who are gay too,"
197
00:13:57,370 --> 00:14:00,140
and he was super cute,
but we took him under our wing
198
00:14:00,173 --> 00:14:02,175
and we were like, "Listen,
you're one of us now."
199
00:14:06,613 --> 00:14:09,917
I think depression
was a real issue for Matthew.
200
00:14:09,917 --> 00:14:11,351
I think he was
a manic depressive
201
00:14:11,384 --> 00:14:13,353
so sometimes he was super,
super high
202
00:14:13,386 --> 00:14:14,687
and things were awesome.
203
00:14:17,324 --> 00:14:20,827
[Rannells] "February 23, 1998.
204
00:14:20,928 --> 00:14:23,596
I put the Cherry Creek
to shame tonight.
205
00:14:23,630 --> 00:14:26,199
Walked around in my humble
cute self.
206
00:14:26,233 --> 00:14:27,767
It was fun.
207
00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:30,103
I've really gained
a lot of comfort here."
208
00:14:31,538 --> 00:14:32,739
[Patterson] And then,
there were times were things
209
00:14:32,772 --> 00:14:34,341
were literally the opposite,
210
00:14:34,374 --> 00:14:37,945
where it could not
had been lower for him.
211
00:14:37,978 --> 00:14:40,747
[Rannells] "It's been
a long time since
I've journaled,
212
00:14:40,780 --> 00:14:42,582
but I understand why now.
213
00:14:43,616 --> 00:14:45,485
I'm so depressed."
214
00:14:46,819 --> 00:14:49,522
[Patterson] I think
Matthew really did
try to address
215
00:14:49,556 --> 00:14:52,625
the personal traumas
that he had endured.
216
00:14:52,659 --> 00:14:54,861
He dealt with them the best
that he could,
217
00:14:54,962 --> 00:14:57,597
where he didn't feel bad
about himself,
218
00:14:57,630 --> 00:14:59,332
he didn't blame himself
for the things
219
00:14:59,366 --> 00:15:00,968
that had happened in Morocco.
220
00:15:01,001 --> 00:15:02,602
And he was always, you know,
221
00:15:02,635 --> 00:15:04,504
trying to find
that happy balance.
222
00:15:08,475 --> 00:15:12,279
[Rannells] "I'm gonna call
home tonight and say hello
to my mom and dad.
223
00:15:12,312 --> 00:15:14,647
I miss my family so much.
224
00:15:14,681 --> 00:15:17,317
They're so important to me.
225
00:15:17,350 --> 00:15:19,686
I wish that I could see them
more often."
226
00:15:22,289 --> 00:15:23,623
That spring, Matthew
announced that he was going
227
00:15:23,656 --> 00:15:25,425
to move to Laramie, Wyoming,
228
00:15:25,458 --> 00:15:27,394
and in May he made that move.
229
00:15:29,896 --> 00:15:31,698
He enrolled
at the University of Wyoming,
230
00:15:31,731 --> 00:15:34,067
which is where his parents
had gone to school.
231
00:15:36,569 --> 00:15:38,771
Mathew was pretty happy
in Laramie.
232
00:15:38,805 --> 00:15:41,574
Within the red state,
this college town
233
00:15:41,608 --> 00:15:44,544
was sort of a liberal enclave,
so while he was there,
234
00:15:44,577 --> 00:15:46,579
he met like-minded people,
235
00:15:46,613 --> 00:15:47,747
he was connecting
with friends,
236
00:15:47,780 --> 00:15:50,183
and that's also where he met
Jim Osborn.
237
00:15:50,217 --> 00:15:52,519
I'd see him almost
every single day
238
00:15:52,552 --> 00:15:54,621
in front of the Union,
and there he was,
239
00:15:54,654 --> 00:15:56,656
usually people-watching,
240
00:15:56,689 --> 00:15:59,292
always with his hair just so
241
00:15:59,326 --> 00:16:01,828
and polished look about him,
242
00:16:01,861 --> 00:16:03,896
you know,
just always making sure
243
00:16:03,930 --> 00:16:07,500
that anyone he talked to,
he was very focused on them
244
00:16:07,534 --> 00:16:10,503
and was very present
in that conversation.
245
00:16:11,904 --> 00:16:14,074
He always seemed
to be very confident
246
00:16:14,107 --> 00:16:17,244
and was definitely
outgoing and personable.
247
00:16:17,277 --> 00:16:20,413
I never doubted
"This kid is gonna make
a difference."
248
00:16:23,050 --> 00:16:26,053
[tense music playing]
249
00:16:30,423 --> 00:16:32,059
[Osborn] So, Tuesday night,
250
00:16:32,059 --> 00:16:35,895
Matt came
to the LGBTA Meeting.
251
00:16:35,928 --> 00:16:38,131
We'd been kinda
putting the final plans
252
00:16:38,165 --> 00:16:41,368
on all of the events
for Gay Awareness Week.
253
00:16:41,401 --> 00:16:45,272
And then, as we did
most weeks after the meeting,
254
00:16:45,305 --> 00:16:47,474
we all agreed,
let's go out for,
255
00:16:47,507 --> 00:16:50,210
you know, dinner
and something to drink after.
256
00:16:51,111 --> 00:16:52,345
And so we did that.
257
00:16:52,379 --> 00:16:55,682
And after we'd been there
for a while at Village Inn,
258
00:16:55,715 --> 00:16:58,451
he said,
"Okay. Well, I'm,
I'm not heading home yet."
259
00:16:58,485 --> 00:17:00,520
And we later learned
that he ended up
260
00:17:00,553 --> 00:17:01,454
at the Fireside.
261
00:17:07,794 --> 00:17:09,662
[Marcus] I can only imagine
that Matthew felt
262
00:17:09,695 --> 00:17:13,165
perfectly safe walking
into the Fireside Lounge.
263
00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:15,102
It's a place
he'd been before.
264
00:17:15,102 --> 00:17:16,103
He knew the bartender.
265
00:17:16,136 --> 00:17:18,605
He had no reason to be
looking over his shoulder
266
00:17:18,637 --> 00:17:20,873
and thinking someone
was gonna do him harm.
267
00:17:21,941 --> 00:17:24,977
[Osborn] The Fireside
was not a gay bar,
268
00:17:25,011 --> 00:17:27,680
but certainly a bar
where gay people
269
00:17:27,714 --> 00:17:29,682
did go from time to time
270
00:17:29,716 --> 00:17:32,252
because we didn't have
a designated gay bar
271
00:17:32,285 --> 00:17:33,320
in the state.
272
00:17:34,654 --> 00:17:38,325
Most of us had a bar or two
that we could go out to
273
00:17:38,358 --> 00:17:40,960
and feel relatively safe.
274
00:17:40,993 --> 00:17:42,462
I had been to the Fireside.
275
00:17:42,495 --> 00:17:45,165
It was nothing special.
276
00:18:25,705 --> 00:18:27,474
Matt says
he saw Matthew Shepard
277
00:18:27,507 --> 00:18:28,841
leave the bar with two men.
278
00:18:30,210 --> 00:18:32,479
Although he didn't see
their faces on the way out,
279
00:18:32,512 --> 00:18:34,581
he's confident
that those two men
280
00:18:34,614 --> 00:18:37,784
were the same who were paying
with coins for their pitchers,
281
00:18:37,817 --> 00:18:39,952
because he didn't see
those guys around after that.
282
00:19:08,248 --> 00:19:09,982
[distant dog barking]
283
00:19:11,284 --> 00:19:14,521
[object hissing]
284
00:19:16,323 --> 00:19:17,690
[Marks] Shortly
after midnight
285
00:19:17,724 --> 00:19:19,359
in a neighborhood
just north of town,
286
00:19:19,392 --> 00:19:22,362
a resident wakes up
and hears a hissing sound.
287
00:19:23,296 --> 00:19:25,798
So he goes outside
to investigate.
288
00:19:25,832 --> 00:19:29,236
What he finds is that
his tire has been slashed.
289
00:19:29,236 --> 00:19:32,239
[police radio
chattering indistinctly]
290
00:19:35,475 --> 00:19:38,411
He calls the police.
That's around 12:40 a.m.,
291
00:19:38,445 --> 00:19:41,147
and lets them know he thinks
someone has slashed his tire.
292
00:19:58,298 --> 00:20:00,400
At that time, the officer
was about four blocks
293
00:20:00,433 --> 00:20:02,702
from the house where the tires
were slashed,
294
00:20:02,735 --> 00:20:06,172
he sees two guys behaving
kinda strangely
295
00:20:06,205 --> 00:20:08,841
in this black Ford
pickup truck.
296
00:20:12,979 --> 00:20:15,615
And they're sitting there
and they aren't moving.
297
00:20:15,648 --> 00:20:17,149
[Marks] It's well
past midnight,
298
00:20:17,183 --> 00:20:19,719
there aren't many
people out and about.
299
00:20:19,752 --> 00:20:21,721
He's out looking for people
300
00:20:21,754 --> 00:20:23,122
who just slashed
somebody's tire.
301
00:20:24,791 --> 00:20:27,327
[Beck] And so he shines
a light on them,
302
00:20:27,360 --> 00:20:29,629
announces it's police.
303
00:20:29,662 --> 00:20:31,197
He thought they could have
been the suspects
304
00:20:31,230 --> 00:20:32,865
in the tire slashing.
305
00:20:59,091 --> 00:21:01,428
[Beck] Russell Henderson
was somebody
306
00:21:01,461 --> 00:21:02,662
who came from a family
307
00:21:02,695 --> 00:21:04,931
that had been
in Laramie a long time.
308
00:21:04,964 --> 00:21:07,534
By all accounts,
was a pretty good kid
309
00:21:07,567 --> 00:21:09,035
up until late teens.
310
00:21:09,068 --> 00:21:11,638
He was an Eagle Scout.
311
00:21:11,671 --> 00:21:13,406
He was raised
by his grandmother.
312
00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:15,975
His mother had some issues.
313
00:21:16,008 --> 00:21:17,510
[Marks] While he was living
with his grandmother,
314
00:21:17,544 --> 00:21:19,612
he was dating a University
of Wyoming student
315
00:21:19,646 --> 00:21:21,648
named Chastity Paisley.
316
00:21:23,416 --> 00:21:24,917
[Beck] And there's blood
on him.
317
00:21:24,951 --> 00:21:27,520
So the officer
asks Henderson,
318
00:21:27,554 --> 00:21:29,589
what happened to your left?
319
00:21:29,622 --> 00:21:33,360
He tells the officer
a pretty confusing story.
320
00:21:33,360 --> 00:21:36,696
Russell says that they got
jumped by two men
321
00:21:36,729 --> 00:21:39,966
who he describes
as a White guy
and a Hispanic guy,
322
00:21:39,999 --> 00:21:43,169
and that they'd been beaten
up pretty badly by them.
323
00:21:44,270 --> 00:21:46,072
Russell said
that the other two guys,
324
00:21:46,105 --> 00:21:48,841
the White guy
and the Hispanic guy
had run off.
325
00:21:48,875 --> 00:21:51,811
So, he's asked,
"Okay, well who were you with?
326
00:21:51,844 --> 00:21:54,947
Because we think
you're involved in some
of this vandalism
327
00:21:54,981 --> 00:21:57,517
that we've heard about
in the area."
328
00:21:57,550 --> 00:22:00,387
It seems Russell
is telling the police officer
329
00:22:00,420 --> 00:22:03,856
that he was not involved
in the tire slashing.
330
00:22:05,291 --> 00:22:08,528
He won't name anyone's names,
including the guy
331
00:22:08,561 --> 00:22:10,597
who the officer
just saw run away.
332
00:22:12,064 --> 00:22:13,733
Russell was hesitating
to tell the officer
333
00:22:13,766 --> 00:22:16,068
who the truck belonged to.
334
00:22:16,102 --> 00:22:18,971
And finally he says, "Well,
I was with Aaron McKinney."
335
00:22:19,839 --> 00:22:23,943
Aaron McKinney
was a young man
336
00:22:23,976 --> 00:22:26,746
who had grown up in Laramie.
337
00:22:26,779 --> 00:22:29,048
His parents were divorced.
338
00:22:29,081 --> 00:22:31,684
Anderson met Aaron McKinney
at some point
339
00:22:31,718 --> 00:22:33,753
and they were roofers
together.
340
00:22:33,786 --> 00:22:36,423
Aaron McKinney
was dating someone
named Kristen Price,
341
00:22:36,423 --> 00:22:39,426
and the two of them had
recently had a baby together.
342
00:22:39,426 --> 00:22:42,762
Aaron's mother had died
a few years earlier,
343
00:22:42,795 --> 00:22:45,131
actually from complications
from a hysterectomy.
344
00:22:45,164 --> 00:22:49,902
And that actually
led to him inheriting
quite a bit of money
345
00:22:49,936 --> 00:22:51,704
due to a life
insurance policy,
346
00:22:51,738 --> 00:22:53,806
and unfortunately,
347
00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:56,476
he used a lot of that money
on drugs
348
00:22:56,509 --> 00:22:58,778
and poor behavior.
349
00:23:01,881 --> 00:23:03,516
[Marcus] In the early '90s,
crystal meth
350
00:23:03,550 --> 00:23:05,785
arrived in Wyoming
in a big way.
351
00:23:05,818 --> 00:23:07,787
For someone like
Aaron McKinney,
352
00:23:07,820 --> 00:23:10,890
who thought of himself
as a bad boy to start with
353
00:23:10,923 --> 00:23:12,759
and had money in his pocket
to burn,
354
00:23:12,792 --> 00:23:14,494
it's not so surprising
that he wound up
355
00:23:14,527 --> 00:23:17,797
becoming one
of the army of people
356
00:23:17,830 --> 00:23:19,599
who became addicted to meth.
357
00:23:23,470 --> 00:23:25,772
[Beck] So the officer
continues talking
358
00:23:25,805 --> 00:23:28,475
to Russell Henderson
and he says,
359
00:23:28,475 --> 00:23:30,777
Aaron McKinney got cracked
360
00:23:30,810 --> 00:23:33,613
with a stick or something
when they got jumped.
361
00:23:33,646 --> 00:23:36,048
And Russell Henderson,
362
00:23:36,082 --> 00:23:37,484
he's got a gash in his lip
363
00:23:37,517 --> 00:23:39,285
and there's blood on him.
364
00:23:39,318 --> 00:23:41,287
So, the officer
also broadcasts out
365
00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:43,490
the descriptions
of the men who Russell
366
00:23:43,523 --> 00:23:45,057
told him about, this white guy
367
00:23:45,091 --> 00:23:47,126
and Hispanic guy
who supposedly jumped them.
368
00:23:48,327 --> 00:23:50,497
Right now everyone thinks
that those two men
369
00:23:50,497 --> 00:23:53,332
could be responsible not
just for vandalizing the tire,
370
00:23:53,365 --> 00:23:55,635
but also for attacking
Russell and Aaron,
371
00:23:55,668 --> 00:23:57,837
both of whom
were pretty badly injured.
372
00:23:57,870 --> 00:24:01,007
And so after they finished
their conversation,
373
00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:02,909
Henderson goes
in an ambulance
374
00:24:02,942 --> 00:24:05,678
to Ivinson Memorial Hospital.
375
00:24:08,681 --> 00:24:10,950
The officer takes a look
at the truck...
376
00:24:12,519 --> 00:24:17,089
and he sees a lot of things
outside of the truck
that looked odd.
377
00:24:22,194 --> 00:24:26,365
[Beck] There's this
really bloody gun.
378
00:24:26,398 --> 00:24:29,268
What is all this stuff?
What has happened here?
379
00:24:29,301 --> 00:24:33,139
And they're just
absolutely baffled
by what took place here.
380
00:24:33,172 --> 00:24:36,543
Initially, they think
it's just this one fight
381
00:24:36,576 --> 00:24:38,978
in a residential area,
382
00:24:39,011 --> 00:24:41,814
but there's more to this
and they know it.
383
00:24:53,459 --> 00:24:56,563
So they're processing
outside of the truck,
384
00:24:56,596 --> 00:24:58,798
they're swabbing blood.
385
00:24:58,831 --> 00:25:02,101
And of course, this gun
in the bed of the truck
is available to them,
386
00:25:02,134 --> 00:25:03,435
so they take it,
387
00:25:03,469 --> 00:25:05,104
and it's just covered
with blood.
388
00:25:08,207 --> 00:25:11,277
[Marks] Under federal law,
there is an exception
389
00:25:11,310 --> 00:25:13,445
to the rule that you need
a search warrant,
390
00:25:13,479 --> 00:25:15,782
which is called
the plain view doctrine.
391
00:25:15,815 --> 00:25:18,050
If an officer sees
a potential piece of evidence
392
00:25:18,084 --> 00:25:20,787
in plain sight,
they're allowed
to take that evidence,
393
00:25:20,820 --> 00:25:21,921
preserve that evidence,
394
00:25:21,954 --> 00:25:24,056
in the event that a crime
has been committed.
395
00:25:25,725 --> 00:25:27,627
[Beck] And then,
they look in the cab
396
00:25:27,660 --> 00:25:29,962
and they see this really
nice pair of shoes,
397
00:25:29,996 --> 00:25:30,963
which seem out of place,
398
00:25:30,997 --> 00:25:32,999
because they don't seem
like the kind
399
00:25:33,032 --> 00:25:35,067
that these guys would have.
400
00:25:53,519 --> 00:25:55,154
[tense music playing]
401
00:25:57,957 --> 00:26:00,526
[Beck] So, what's interesting
is you have
402
00:26:00,627 --> 00:26:03,062
some Laramie
Police Department people
403
00:26:03,095 --> 00:26:06,532
listening in
to the radio call.
404
00:26:06,633 --> 00:26:08,635
When Deputy Fluty,
the Albany County
405
00:26:08,635 --> 00:26:11,537
Sheriff's Deputy calls
from the fence and said,
406
00:26:11,638 --> 00:26:12,805
"We've got the student ID
407
00:26:12,839 --> 00:26:15,808
with the name
of Matthew Shepard,"
408
00:26:17,043 --> 00:26:19,679
the ears of some
police detectives perk up.
409
00:26:34,727 --> 00:26:36,428
[Beck] Right around this time,
410
00:26:36,462 --> 00:26:39,398
police are still
looking for Aaron McKinney.
411
00:26:39,431 --> 00:26:43,169
They go to his house...
He's not there.
412
00:26:43,202 --> 00:26:45,504
Eventually, Kristen Price,
413
00:26:45,537 --> 00:26:47,807
who was Aaron McKinney's
girlfriend,
414
00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:50,810
called police and said Aaron
was badly beaten up,
415
00:26:50,843 --> 00:26:54,346
and so now
he's at the hospital.
416
00:26:54,380 --> 00:26:56,548
[Marks] Aaron was injured
pretty badly from the assault
417
00:26:56,582 --> 00:26:57,817
the night before
between the White guy
418
00:26:57,850 --> 00:26:59,686
and the Hispanic guy,
419
00:26:59,686 --> 00:27:01,821
and he had to be transferred
from the local hospital
420
00:27:01,854 --> 00:27:04,791
to Poudre Valley to have
his head injury treated.
421
00:27:04,824 --> 00:27:06,793
[Beck] Police were
invited by Kristen Price
422
00:27:06,826 --> 00:27:08,194
to come and interview him.
423
00:27:08,227 --> 00:27:10,162
They do talk to him briefly
424
00:27:10,196 --> 00:27:13,599
a little bit and asked him
about the incident.
425
00:27:13,700 --> 00:27:16,803
So, they started asking
McKinney about the truck
426
00:27:16,836 --> 00:27:20,039
and he said, "Oh, well,
that was stolen from us
427
00:27:20,072 --> 00:27:23,042
when we were out last night."
428
00:27:23,075 --> 00:27:25,712
And he said he had been jumped
by a couple of folks
429
00:27:25,712 --> 00:27:26,946
and he got cracked
in the head.
430
00:27:28,881 --> 00:27:31,483
[Marks] While officers are
interviewing Aaron McKinney
431
00:27:31,517 --> 00:27:33,820
at the hospital,
they received word
432
00:27:33,853 --> 00:27:36,588
that Matthew has been found
on the outskirts of town
433
00:27:36,622 --> 00:27:39,058
and is being brought
into that same hospital.
434
00:27:40,727 --> 00:27:44,463
When the doctors there
see him,
435
00:27:44,496 --> 00:27:46,933
they are doing what they can
to try and revive him.
436
00:28:14,593 --> 00:28:16,428
The hospital contacted
his parents,
437
00:28:16,462 --> 00:28:17,964
who were still
in Saudi Arabia.
438
00:28:17,997 --> 00:28:19,766
They started
the process of getting home
439
00:28:19,766 --> 00:28:20,900
as quickly as they could.
440
00:28:22,769 --> 00:28:23,770
[Beck] They realized
right away,
441
00:28:23,803 --> 00:28:26,005
"We can't take care
of him here."
442
00:28:26,038 --> 00:28:27,874
So there's a hospital
in Fort Collins
443
00:28:27,907 --> 00:28:29,341
called Poudre Valley Hospital
444
00:28:29,375 --> 00:28:31,277
that handles head injuries.
445
00:28:31,310 --> 00:28:32,278
So, they realized right away,
446
00:28:32,311 --> 00:28:35,281
"We gotta get him
to that hospital."
447
00:28:35,314 --> 00:28:38,584
[siren wailing]
448
00:28:38,617 --> 00:28:41,587
[tense music playing]
449
00:28:44,290 --> 00:28:46,859
[Osborn] The first time
I learned about
what had happened to Matt,
450
00:28:46,893 --> 00:28:49,528
I got an email from
a mutual friend of ours,
451
00:28:49,561 --> 00:28:51,263
the same friend
that had introduced us.
452
00:28:51,297 --> 00:28:54,266
And she let me know
that Matt had been attacked
453
00:28:54,300 --> 00:28:56,235
and that he was
in the hospital.
454
00:28:56,268 --> 00:28:58,437
She let me know
that his prognosis
455
00:28:58,470 --> 00:29:00,206
was not good.
456
00:29:00,239 --> 00:29:02,875
[Patterson]
There was a shock,
there was a fear.
457
00:29:02,909 --> 00:29:05,845
There was just this distraught
feeling you had
458
00:29:05,878 --> 00:29:07,513
because you knew there
was nothing you could do.
459
00:29:07,546 --> 00:29:10,549
And so I just
kind of waited it out.
460
00:29:11,984 --> 00:29:15,021
[Osborn] The first few hours
were honestly pretty scary
461
00:29:15,054 --> 00:29:17,456
for myself and most of
the members of the group,
462
00:29:17,489 --> 00:29:20,292
because we didn't know
who had done this.
463
00:29:22,728 --> 00:29:24,196
For me, it was unmistakable
464
00:29:24,230 --> 00:29:26,065
that this had to be
about hate.
465
00:29:33,539 --> 00:29:37,176
[Beck] So, law enforcement
now starts to interview
people of interest
466
00:29:37,209 --> 00:29:38,845
about Matthew's attack.
467
00:29:38,845 --> 00:29:41,047
Police bring Russell,
468
00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:44,483
Chastity Paisley,
who was Russell's girlfriend,
469
00:29:44,516 --> 00:29:48,020
and Kristen into the station
470
00:29:48,054 --> 00:29:50,689
and try
and do interviews with them.
471
00:29:52,224 --> 00:29:55,327
Russell Henderson
isn't speaking, so he's...
472
00:29:55,361 --> 00:29:57,296
"Lawyering up"
is the term they use,
473
00:29:57,329 --> 00:29:59,398
he's gonna wait
for an attorney.
474
00:29:59,431 --> 00:30:01,667
Chastity Paisley
explains that,
475
00:30:01,700 --> 00:30:04,436
"Oh, well, I really
don't know anything."
476
00:30:04,470 --> 00:30:07,874
Kristen Price
had a little one at that time
477
00:30:07,907 --> 00:30:10,877
and she had no interest
in getting arrested
478
00:30:10,910 --> 00:30:13,112
or having anything happen
to her.
479
00:30:34,766 --> 00:30:36,402
And he told her,
480
00:30:36,435 --> 00:30:38,905
"I think
I killed somebody tonight."
481
00:30:43,242 --> 00:30:46,178
He explained
that he and Russell Henderson
482
00:30:46,212 --> 00:30:48,514
were at the Fireside bar
483
00:30:48,547 --> 00:30:51,150
where they saw somebody
that was gay
484
00:30:51,183 --> 00:30:52,885
and he looked like
he had money.
485
00:30:52,919 --> 00:30:54,286
Kristen tells him,
486
00:30:54,320 --> 00:30:56,923
they came up with a plan
that they would pretend
487
00:30:56,956 --> 00:30:59,025
that they're gay
and they'll try
488
00:30:59,058 --> 00:31:00,759
and get him to go with them
489
00:31:00,792 --> 00:31:02,094
and that they will rob him.
490
00:31:03,229 --> 00:31:05,731
And eventually,
he decided to go with them
491
00:31:05,764 --> 00:31:07,566
and they left
the Fireside bar.
492
00:31:08,734 --> 00:31:10,136
[Marks] After Aaron
tells her what happened,
493
00:31:10,169 --> 00:31:13,372
he goes into the bathroom
to get cleaned up.
494
00:31:13,405 --> 00:31:16,242
She looks in and sees him
washing off a bloody wallet.
495
00:31:16,275 --> 00:31:19,111
Aaron then took that wallet,
put it in a dirty diaper
496
00:31:19,145 --> 00:31:20,179
and threw it in the trash.
497
00:31:21,413 --> 00:31:24,750
[Beck] Kristen says
that Chastity and Russell
498
00:31:24,783 --> 00:31:28,287
come over and they discussed
the evening's events,
499
00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:30,389
realized they better get rid
of some of their evidence,
500
00:31:30,422 --> 00:31:31,958
better get rid
of their clothes.
501
00:31:51,877 --> 00:31:53,980
[Beck] The clothing
they did not get rid of
502
00:31:54,013 --> 00:31:55,081
was Russell's shoes,
503
00:31:55,114 --> 00:31:56,615
which were very expensive
504
00:31:56,648 --> 00:31:58,384
and he had just bought them,
505
00:31:58,417 --> 00:32:02,254
and they hid those in
a shed at another location.
506
00:32:04,490 --> 00:32:07,193
Law enforcement
goes to the location
507
00:32:07,226 --> 00:32:09,095
and after
a little bit of a search,
508
00:32:09,128 --> 00:32:12,864
they find the shoes
that were covered with blood.
509
00:32:12,898 --> 00:32:15,001
They go to
the McKinney household
510
00:32:15,001 --> 00:32:17,469
where they find his clothes,
511
00:32:17,503 --> 00:32:22,608
they're bloody,
and then in the dirty diaper
they find the wallet
512
00:32:22,641 --> 00:32:24,010
that's got
the driver's license
513
00:32:24,010 --> 00:32:26,378
of Matthew Shepard in it.
514
00:32:27,313 --> 00:32:29,715
By the end of the afternoon,
515
00:32:29,748 --> 00:32:30,849
all three were arrested
516
00:32:30,882 --> 00:32:33,485
in connection with what
happened to Matthew Shepard.
517
00:32:37,389 --> 00:32:39,225
At the time,
I was the news director
518
00:32:39,258 --> 00:32:41,093
at Wyoming Public Radio.
519
00:32:41,127 --> 00:32:42,928
I was also teaching
that semester
520
00:32:43,029 --> 00:32:45,431
at the University of Wyoming.
521
00:32:45,464 --> 00:32:49,135
I had a student
that was in my class
522
00:32:49,168 --> 00:32:52,171
and he called me up
that morning
523
00:32:52,204 --> 00:32:56,642
and told me that he wasn't
gonna be able to come
to class that day
524
00:32:56,675 --> 00:32:59,445
because something bad
had happened
to a friend of his.
525
00:32:59,478 --> 00:33:01,680
And I'm like,
"Are you kidding me?"
526
00:33:01,713 --> 00:33:02,781
Like what happened?
527
00:33:02,814 --> 00:33:04,083
He goes, "Oh, you're gonna
hear about this.
528
00:33:04,116 --> 00:33:05,551
This is a real terrible thing.
529
00:33:05,584 --> 00:33:07,253
It's going to be
a news story for you."
530
00:33:07,286 --> 00:33:08,587
[reporter 1]
Matthew Shepard...
531
00:33:08,620 --> 00:33:09,521
[reporter 2]
Matthew Shepard...
532
00:33:09,555 --> 00:33:10,556
[reporter 3]
Matthew Shepard...
533
00:33:10,589 --> 00:33:11,523
[reporter 4]
Matthew Shepard...
534
00:33:31,110 --> 00:33:32,411
[Beck] You know,
in public radio,
535
00:33:32,444 --> 00:33:36,248
we don't have the scanner
on like TV stations do
536
00:33:36,282 --> 00:33:37,749
or newspapers might.
537
00:33:37,783 --> 00:33:40,719
We don't do a lot of
that day-to-day crime stuff.
538
00:33:40,752 --> 00:33:43,089
But I did have somebody
that morning tell me,
539
00:33:43,122 --> 00:33:45,624
"Wow, the scanner
was really going last night."
540
00:33:45,657 --> 00:33:46,892
There was something going on.
541
00:33:46,925 --> 00:33:49,228
There's something
that happened
just outside of town.
542
00:33:50,096 --> 00:33:52,398
So, I called
the sheriff's office
543
00:33:52,431 --> 00:33:54,666
and they wouldn't say
anything, but they said,
544
00:33:54,700 --> 00:33:56,768
"We're gonna have
a news conference at 3:00."
545
00:33:59,571 --> 00:34:00,872
That afternoon,
we were there.
546
00:34:00,906 --> 00:34:02,974
Of course,
there may have been
547
00:34:03,008 --> 00:34:04,710
one other radio station there,
548
00:34:04,743 --> 00:34:07,213
and then I remember that some
local TV stations
549
00:34:07,246 --> 00:34:09,447
and some television stations
from Denver were there.
550
00:34:11,382 --> 00:34:13,885
[Marks] During
the press conference,
Sheriff Gary Puls
551
00:34:13,918 --> 00:34:17,223
remarked for the first time
about Matthew's attack.
552
00:34:17,255 --> 00:34:20,259
He also announced the charges
against Russell Henderson,
553
00:34:20,292 --> 00:34:23,129
Kristen Price
and Chastity Paisley.
554
00:34:24,663 --> 00:34:27,299
[Beck] Aaron McKinney had
not been charged as of yet,
555
00:34:27,333 --> 00:34:30,936
but they told us
that we know where he is
556
00:34:30,969 --> 00:34:33,371
and we are going to be
charging him shortly.
557
00:34:33,405 --> 00:34:36,242
The sheriff
made it very clear to us
558
00:34:36,275 --> 00:34:38,244
that he thought
that this incident happened
559
00:34:38,277 --> 00:34:40,246
because Matthew Shepard
was gay.
560
00:35:00,332 --> 00:35:02,368
In 1998,
the Wyoming legislature
561
00:35:02,401 --> 00:35:04,536
is mostly retired ranchers,
562
00:35:04,570 --> 00:35:06,305
you know, old White men.
563
00:35:06,338 --> 00:35:08,540
We didn't have
hate crime legislation.
564
00:35:08,574 --> 00:35:11,042
Passing any hate
crimes legislation
565
00:35:11,076 --> 00:35:13,979
would be like putting
a stamp of approval
566
00:35:14,012 --> 00:35:15,614
and saying "This is true,
567
00:35:15,647 --> 00:35:17,416
this is who we are."
568
00:35:17,449 --> 00:35:20,819
And it was just an obstacle
that they couldn't overcome.
569
00:35:20,852 --> 00:35:22,421
[Beck] From that point on,
570
00:35:22,454 --> 00:35:25,791
I never ever, ever,
ever heard a member
of law enforcement
571
00:35:25,824 --> 00:35:26,758
call it a hate crime.
572
00:35:27,826 --> 00:35:30,496
This was a local crime.
573
00:35:30,529 --> 00:35:32,798
It didn't strike me
that this was something
574
00:35:32,831 --> 00:35:35,301
the national news
would be interested in.
575
00:35:37,303 --> 00:35:41,240
[dramatic music playing]
576
00:35:41,273 --> 00:35:44,476
[Beck] Aaron McKinney
also had been transferred
577
00:35:44,510 --> 00:35:46,945
to Poudre Valley Hospital
in Colorado
578
00:35:46,978 --> 00:35:48,814
as well as Matthew Shepard.
579
00:35:48,847 --> 00:35:50,982
Police waited for him
to be released,
580
00:35:51,016 --> 00:35:52,551
and as soon
as he was released,
581
00:35:52,584 --> 00:35:55,287
he agreed to be extradited
back to Wyoming.
582
00:36:06,532 --> 00:36:09,268
[tense music playing]
583
00:36:33,058 --> 00:36:35,093
[Beck] Well,
he basically said,
584
00:36:35,126 --> 00:36:36,462
"Yeah, it happened and...
585
00:36:36,495 --> 00:36:38,430
But here's what happened."
586
00:36:38,464 --> 00:36:42,401
They're kinda driving around
and then they sort
of go to the Fireside.
587
00:36:43,269 --> 00:36:44,870
And they are really
short of cash.
588
00:36:46,938 --> 00:36:48,607
And they're using quarters,
589
00:36:48,640 --> 00:36:51,277
nickels and dimes
to buy a pitcher of beer,
590
00:36:51,277 --> 00:36:53,479
when they see this
other person approach them.
591
00:37:03,188 --> 00:37:06,792
[Beck] And they concoct
this plan where they're gay
592
00:37:06,825 --> 00:37:08,627
and they'll try
and get him
to go with them.
593
00:37:21,307 --> 00:37:23,074
[Marks] They leave the bar
and get in the truck,
594
00:37:23,108 --> 00:37:25,311
which is
Aaron's father's truck.
595
00:37:25,311 --> 00:37:28,213
Matthew is positioned
in between them in the seat,
596
00:37:28,314 --> 00:37:31,750
sandwiched
in between them, really,
and Russell's driving.
597
00:37:52,504 --> 00:37:55,574
[Beck] He was holding a gun
at that time,
598
00:37:55,607 --> 00:37:57,776
'cause they were,
you know, telling him
he was gonna be robbed,
599
00:37:57,809 --> 00:37:59,878
and then Aaron
took his wallet.
600
00:38:01,613 --> 00:38:03,114
[Marks] Aaron has his gun out.
601
00:38:04,516 --> 00:38:06,585
It just doesn't make sense
that Matthew
602
00:38:06,618 --> 00:38:09,888
would feel emboldened
to make a pass at him.
603
00:38:14,092 --> 00:38:16,362
Aaron McKinney just started
hitting him with a gun.
604
00:38:18,664 --> 00:38:20,031
He hit him in the face.
605
00:38:20,065 --> 00:38:22,434
He just whacked him.
606
00:38:26,438 --> 00:38:30,609
He explained
that Russell drove them
to the site,
607
00:38:31,877 --> 00:38:35,747
and then Russell tied him up.
608
00:38:38,850 --> 00:38:41,453
And then Aaron
just started to hit him...
609
00:38:42,621 --> 00:38:45,090
And hit him and hit him.
610
00:38:47,125 --> 00:38:49,227
[Marks] I'm sure
he was terrified.
611
00:38:51,229 --> 00:38:53,932
I imagine you would be
confused also,
612
00:38:53,965 --> 00:38:56,402
how could a scenario
of just leaving the bar
613
00:38:56,402 --> 00:38:59,137
with someone escalate
so quickly to this.
614
00:39:13,852 --> 00:39:15,654
[Beck] Really went
from a situation
615
00:39:15,687 --> 00:39:18,624
where it sounded like
what they were intending
to do was rob the young man,
616
00:39:18,657 --> 00:39:24,129
and just like that,
it turned into something
really catastrophic.
617
00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:38,343
Aaron basically
just unleashed on Matthew.
618
00:39:38,444 --> 00:39:41,112
He beat him brutally
and repeatedly.
619
00:39:48,086 --> 00:39:50,522
Aaron admitted he just
kinda went into a rage.
620
00:39:50,556 --> 00:39:53,892
He just started
hitting him and hitting him
and hitting him.
621
00:39:53,925 --> 00:39:56,327
And then Aaron took
his shoes.
622
00:39:59,698 --> 00:40:01,967
[Marks] Aaron tells
the police after he was done
623
00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:04,803
beating Matthew,
he assumed Matthew was dead.
624
00:40:04,836 --> 00:40:06,605
He and Russell jumped back
in the truck,
625
00:40:06,638 --> 00:40:08,440
drove back into town,
626
00:40:08,474 --> 00:40:10,008
potentially to get rid
of the gun,
627
00:40:10,041 --> 00:40:12,478
and got in a fight.
628
00:40:12,511 --> 00:40:15,547
There is something
of an ironic parallel
629
00:40:15,581 --> 00:40:17,315
in the fact that Aaron
630
00:40:17,348 --> 00:40:19,485
had just finished brutally
beating someone
631
00:40:19,518 --> 00:40:21,119
and came into town
632
00:40:21,152 --> 00:40:23,154
and then got his own head
cracked open.
633
00:40:25,791 --> 00:40:28,827
The thing in that interview
that comes across
634
00:40:28,860 --> 00:40:30,862
is he was actually
sort of nonchalant.
635
00:40:31,497 --> 00:40:32,330
[man speaking]
636
00:40:40,739 --> 00:40:43,241
[Beck] And after
the interview was done,
637
00:40:43,274 --> 00:40:47,145
he was charged with attempted
first degree murder,
638
00:40:47,178 --> 00:40:50,048
kidnapping,
and with aggravated robbery.
639
00:40:50,081 --> 00:40:52,851
[tense music playing]
640
00:41:55,413 --> 00:41:59,317
An openly gay
college student beaten
and left to die
641
00:41:59,350 --> 00:42:01,119
clings to life in Wyoming
this morning.
642
00:42:02,588 --> 00:42:05,123
[Marcus] I know that virtually
no one in Laramie
643
00:42:05,156 --> 00:42:08,326
or in the state of Wyoming
had any idea
644
00:42:08,359 --> 00:42:11,096
the media storm that was
about to descend on them,
645
00:42:11,129 --> 00:42:13,999
or what a chord
Matthew's story would strike
646
00:42:14,032 --> 00:42:16,101
at that particular
moment in history.
647
00:42:16,134 --> 00:42:17,468
[newscaster 1]
Matthew Shepard.
648
00:42:17,502 --> 00:42:18,670
[newscaster 2]
Matthew Shepard.
649
00:42:18,704 --> 00:42:19,705
[newscaster 3]
Matthew Shepard.
650
00:42:19,738 --> 00:42:21,506
[newscaster 4]
Matthew Shepard.
651
00:42:21,607 --> 00:42:23,775
[Marcus] In the hours
after Matthew was found,
652
00:42:23,809 --> 00:42:26,778
people learned
Matthew Shepard's name.
653
00:42:26,812 --> 00:42:30,081
He became a national
news story.
654
00:42:30,115 --> 00:42:32,784
[newscaster] It was a gruesome
discovery at this fence,
655
00:42:32,818 --> 00:42:35,086
a gay man barely
alive tonight
656
00:42:35,120 --> 00:42:37,455
in a coma, brain damaged.
657
00:42:37,488 --> 00:42:39,157
[Rannells] It was everywhere.
658
00:42:39,190 --> 00:42:41,693
It was in every newspaper.
It was on the news.
659
00:42:41,727 --> 00:42:44,730
Everyone's kind of like
just watching and listening
660
00:42:44,763 --> 00:42:47,198
and hoping that he would live.
661
00:42:47,232 --> 00:42:50,001
Not in my wildest dreams
would I expect
662
00:42:50,035 --> 00:42:52,470
that the New York Times
and Newsweek,
663
00:42:52,503 --> 00:42:55,306
and CBS, ABC, NBC,
664
00:42:55,340 --> 00:42:57,843
CNN, all those people
would be showing up
665
00:42:57,876 --> 00:43:01,747
in my community
within roughly 24 hours.
666
00:43:01,780 --> 00:43:03,815
I'd never seen that before.
667
00:43:03,849 --> 00:43:05,450
[Marcus] A couple of things
were going on
668
00:43:05,483 --> 00:43:08,920
in the hours
after Matthew was found.
669
00:43:08,954 --> 00:43:13,258
There were many people
who wanted Matthew's
story known,
670
00:43:13,291 --> 00:43:16,027
because these murders
had been going on
for a long time.
671
00:43:17,095 --> 00:43:20,231
Matthew's friends
and activists
were reaching out
672
00:43:20,265 --> 00:43:23,434
to an existing infrastructure
of gay rights,
673
00:43:23,468 --> 00:43:25,103
national organizations
674
00:43:25,136 --> 00:43:27,505
that then could amplify
what happened.
675
00:43:27,538 --> 00:43:29,808
[Patterson] The National Gay
and Lesbian Organization
676
00:43:29,841 --> 00:43:33,344
descended into Laramie,
in particular,
677
00:43:33,378 --> 00:43:35,781
GLAD, the Gay and Lesbian
Alliance against Defamation.
678
00:43:35,814 --> 00:43:37,716
Like, they're literally
a media watchdog group.
679
00:43:37,749 --> 00:43:40,518
This is what they do.
All they do at that time
680
00:43:40,551 --> 00:43:43,855
was watch the media
and contact different
members of the media
681
00:43:43,889 --> 00:43:47,225
about the stories
and the reporting
that they're doing.
682
00:43:47,258 --> 00:43:51,596
The only way change
was gonna happen
was to also use the media
683
00:43:51,697 --> 00:43:54,599
to amplify the story
of what happened to Matthew.
684
00:43:54,700 --> 00:43:57,035
People aren't stupid.
They're sophisticated
about the media.
685
00:43:58,569 --> 00:44:01,306
[Osborn] People were calling
the Campus Activity Center
686
00:44:01,339 --> 00:44:02,841
and leaving messages for me,
687
00:44:02,874 --> 00:44:05,977
Good Morning America
and Dateline.
688
00:44:06,011 --> 00:44:09,614
The hate and violence
must stop.
689
00:44:09,715 --> 00:44:12,784
It was kind of a scary
and unique challenge
690
00:44:12,818 --> 00:44:16,054
all of a sudden to be asked
to be the spokesperson
691
00:44:16,087 --> 00:44:18,890
for all gay people in Wyoming
692
00:44:18,924 --> 00:44:20,959
is the way it felt
at the time.
693
00:44:34,239 --> 00:44:35,741
My name is Nate Mickelson.
694
00:44:35,774 --> 00:44:37,475
I grew up
in Kemmerer, Wyoming.
695
00:44:38,744 --> 00:44:40,345
It was pretty small,
696
00:44:40,378 --> 00:44:42,047
maybe about 3,000 people.
697
00:44:43,381 --> 00:44:46,584
You know, I thought
I was the only gay person,
698
00:44:46,617 --> 00:44:49,087
but I was part
of that community
699
00:44:49,120 --> 00:44:52,758
and people cared for me
no matter what was going on.
700
00:44:52,758 --> 00:44:55,761
I was at college.
And when I heard about
what happened to Matt,
701
00:44:55,794 --> 00:44:57,362
it really shocked me.
702
00:44:57,395 --> 00:45:00,298
You know, it wasn't a kind of
Wyoming that I remembered.
703
00:45:00,331 --> 00:45:03,401
You know, it let me know
that I wasn't as safe
as I thought I had been.
704
00:45:03,434 --> 00:45:05,003
And I wasn't as safe
705
00:45:05,036 --> 00:45:07,105
growing up as I thought
I had been.
706
00:45:10,041 --> 00:45:12,844
Welcome my buddy,
Ellen DeGeneres.
707
00:45:12,878 --> 00:45:14,179
[O'Donnell] I was on
my TV show.
708
00:45:14,212 --> 00:45:17,082
It was an incredibly
turbulent time
709
00:45:17,115 --> 00:45:18,583
in my life and world.
710
00:45:18,616 --> 00:45:20,886
I remember
the James Byrd situation,
711
00:45:20,919 --> 00:45:23,889
the same horror and hypocrisy
712
00:45:23,922 --> 00:45:26,792
and evil and systemic racism
713
00:45:26,825 --> 00:45:31,129
that allows a Black man
to be lynched
714
00:45:31,162 --> 00:45:34,565
and feeling something
has to be done,
715
00:45:34,599 --> 00:45:36,067
not knowing what to do.
716
00:45:36,101 --> 00:45:38,804
And then right
on the heels of that,
717
00:45:38,804 --> 00:45:42,440
Matthew Shepard
and feeling that same horror.
718
00:45:44,910 --> 00:45:46,845
I first heard
about Matthew Shepard
719
00:45:46,878 --> 00:45:49,214
in my dorm room in New York,
720
00:45:50,115 --> 00:45:52,450
and there weren't
a ton of details.
721
00:45:52,483 --> 00:45:56,354
Even though this happened
thousands of miles
from where we were,
722
00:45:56,387 --> 00:45:58,824
I think we all recognized
723
00:45:58,824 --> 00:46:01,559
pieces of ourselves
in this story.
724
00:46:05,396 --> 00:46:07,866
In '98, I was
in San Diego, California.
725
00:46:07,899 --> 00:46:08,967
I was in high school.
726
00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:10,936
You know,
I was still in the closet.
727
00:46:12,237 --> 00:46:15,473
And, you know,
hearing about this awful,
728
00:46:15,506 --> 00:46:18,910
brutal crime was terrifying.
729
00:46:20,678 --> 00:46:23,048
It made me fearful
730
00:46:23,081 --> 00:46:24,883
to step toward coming out.
731
00:46:24,916 --> 00:46:26,651
It made me more fearful
732
00:46:26,684 --> 00:46:29,855
to embrace who I was
733
00:46:29,888 --> 00:46:33,291
because it reminded me
how much hate
there is out there.
734
00:46:33,324 --> 00:46:35,126
I spent a lot of time
trying to convince
735
00:46:35,160 --> 00:46:36,862
my mother in Nebraska
736
00:46:36,862 --> 00:46:38,864
that everything is still
gonna be okay
737
00:46:38,864 --> 00:46:40,731
and that I could be safe
738
00:46:40,765 --> 00:46:43,534
and would be safe
when in reality,
739
00:46:43,568 --> 00:46:44,569
I knew...
740
00:46:46,037 --> 00:46:47,973
that that might not
always be the case.
741
00:46:49,174 --> 00:46:50,708
It was terrifying. It was...
742
00:46:50,741 --> 00:46:52,343
It was a terrifying
realization.
743
00:46:53,979 --> 00:46:55,446
[Marks] While all of this
is going on,
744
00:46:55,480 --> 00:46:56,948
Matthew is still
in the hospital.
745
00:46:56,982 --> 00:46:59,417
His parents are there
and they're just hoping
746
00:46:59,450 --> 00:47:00,285
that he's going to survive.
747
00:47:01,386 --> 00:47:03,221
We all watched what
was happening with Matthew
748
00:47:03,254 --> 00:47:05,056
in the hospital and those days
749
00:47:05,090 --> 00:47:06,557
while he was trying to survive
750
00:47:06,591 --> 00:47:08,726
and we knew
the likelihood of that.
751
00:47:08,759 --> 00:47:12,330
And yet everybody
hoped, right?
752
00:47:17,235 --> 00:47:20,205
[suspenseful music playing]
753
00:47:38,823 --> 00:47:41,126
[Beck] You know, people were
critical of the community.
754
00:47:41,159 --> 00:47:42,961
Well, you know,
the Wild West,
755
00:47:42,994 --> 00:47:44,930
you're probably pulling
gay people off the street
756
00:47:44,930 --> 00:47:46,697
left and right
and beating them,
757
00:47:46,731 --> 00:47:50,768
or this kind of thing probably
happens in Laramie
all the time.
758
00:47:52,403 --> 00:47:54,272
[Rannells] There was
a real generalization
759
00:47:54,305 --> 00:47:56,574
about where Matthew was from
760
00:47:56,607 --> 00:48:00,411
and that maybe
it wasn't surprising
761
00:48:00,445 --> 00:48:03,949
that a gay kid
would have this...
762
00:48:03,982 --> 00:48:06,317
horrible crime happen to him
763
00:48:06,351 --> 00:48:08,453
in a rural area like that.
764
00:48:08,486 --> 00:48:13,158
That everyone from Wyoming
was anti-LGBTQ,
765
00:48:13,191 --> 00:48:16,194
that we were all just a bunch
766
00:48:16,227 --> 00:48:19,664
of uneducated hicks who went
around engaging
767
00:48:19,697 --> 00:48:22,767
in gay bashing
or words to that effect.
768
00:48:22,800 --> 00:48:25,470
[Sara Burlingame]
I think Wyoming
will always struggle
769
00:48:25,503 --> 00:48:28,506
with outsiders'
perception of us,
770
00:48:28,539 --> 00:48:30,275
like, it was taught
in our schools.
771
00:48:30,308 --> 00:48:33,344
It was preached
from our pulpits,
772
00:48:33,378 --> 00:48:35,880
but it's not unique
to Wyoming.
773
00:48:38,984 --> 00:48:41,987
People love to tell you
774
00:48:41,987 --> 00:48:45,223
"It would never happen
in this great blue state
that I live in."
775
00:48:45,256 --> 00:48:46,557
And they're full of [bleep].
776
00:48:48,859 --> 00:48:51,829
[dramatic music playing]
777
00:48:56,201 --> 00:48:58,903
It was homecoming weekend
for the University of Wyoming.
778
00:48:59,004 --> 00:49:02,640
And so normally,
that's festive, right?
779
00:49:19,024 --> 00:49:22,260
[Beck] And they were wearing
yellow arm bands, you know,
780
00:49:22,293 --> 00:49:24,762
saying that hate
is not a Laramie value.
781
00:49:24,795 --> 00:49:27,032
And it was just comforting
to see that.
782
00:49:27,032 --> 00:49:29,767
[Osborn]
And that you could see
the same message
783
00:49:29,800 --> 00:49:33,438
on the marquee out in front
of the mom and pop hotels
784
00:49:33,471 --> 00:49:37,075
and Arby's national
chain restaurants
785
00:49:37,108 --> 00:49:39,577
were putting signs up
like that, too.
786
00:49:48,286 --> 00:49:51,322
I cannot begin to describe
787
00:49:51,356 --> 00:49:53,191
the difference that that made
788
00:49:53,224 --> 00:49:57,162
as a queer person
in this town,
789
00:49:57,195 --> 00:49:59,297
knowing that there really
were more people
790
00:49:59,330 --> 00:50:01,599
who had our back
791
00:50:02,533 --> 00:50:04,102
and had Matt's back.
792
00:50:06,271 --> 00:50:08,173
People were rooting for him.
793
00:50:08,206 --> 00:50:10,908
There were people who were
praying for him to live.
794
00:50:10,941 --> 00:50:14,579
Like, it became this,
"Can this underdog make it?"
795
00:50:20,918 --> 00:50:22,687
[suspenseful music playing]
796
00:50:27,525 --> 00:50:28,726
-Ready?
-[producer] Yup.
797
00:50:31,196 --> 00:50:32,630
At 12:00 midnight
798
00:50:32,663 --> 00:50:36,601
on October 12th, 1998,
799
00:50:36,634 --> 00:50:39,537
Matthew Shepard's blood
pressure began to drop.
800
00:50:40,905 --> 00:50:44,375
His condition continued
to deteriorate.
801
00:50:45,543 --> 00:50:48,579
And at 12:53 a.m.
this morning,
802
00:50:48,613 --> 00:50:49,780
Matthew Shepard died.
803
00:50:54,252 --> 00:50:57,255
Matthew's mother said to me,
804
00:50:57,288 --> 00:51:00,125
"Please tell everybody
who's listening to go home.
805
00:51:00,158 --> 00:51:01,759
Give your kids a hug.
806
00:51:07,198 --> 00:51:08,899
And don't let a day go by
807
00:51:08,933 --> 00:51:11,669
without telling them
that you love them."
808
00:51:14,705 --> 00:51:18,976
Even though it was something
that for me,
809
00:51:19,009 --> 00:51:22,813
I had had kind of known
was coming,
810
00:51:22,847 --> 00:51:25,283
it still was...
811
00:51:26,484 --> 00:51:28,686
that letdown, that...
812
00:51:29,954 --> 00:51:32,623
That air escaping
your lungs in a way
813
00:51:32,657 --> 00:51:34,292
that you can't control.
814
00:51:35,593 --> 00:51:36,727
That...
815
00:51:38,463 --> 00:51:40,365
That last vain hope
816
00:51:40,398 --> 00:51:43,801
that well, gosh,
maybe he'll wake up was gone.
817
00:51:43,834 --> 00:51:46,804
[somber music playing]
818
00:51:48,239 --> 00:51:49,374
[Patterson] I broke.
819
00:51:49,407 --> 00:51:50,808
I literally broke.
820
00:51:50,841 --> 00:51:53,077
All of a sudden,
all of that grief
821
00:51:53,178 --> 00:51:56,847
and anger and sadness
just rushed in
822
00:51:56,881 --> 00:51:58,916
and completely overtook me.
823
00:52:02,287 --> 00:52:05,356
I was very devastated
824
00:52:05,390 --> 00:52:07,592
by Matthew's death
825
00:52:07,625 --> 00:52:10,795
and didn't quite know
what to do.
826
00:52:10,828 --> 00:52:14,632
My soul ate
at human's ability
827
00:52:14,665 --> 00:52:16,601
to be cruel to another.
828
00:52:21,306 --> 00:52:23,208
[Lambert] Hearing about
his death and processing it
829
00:52:23,208 --> 00:52:25,510
was even scarier
because there wasn't anybody
830
00:52:25,543 --> 00:52:27,678
for me to relate to about it.
831
00:52:27,712 --> 00:52:29,214
I didn't have anybody
to talk to about it.
832
00:52:29,247 --> 00:52:30,815
I just heard about it
and I thought...
833
00:52:30,848 --> 00:52:32,116
[exhales]
834
00:52:32,217 --> 00:52:34,919
"This is the world
that I'm about to enter
835
00:52:34,952 --> 00:52:37,522
as an adult."
And that scared me.
836
00:52:40,925 --> 00:52:43,127
My boyfriend has two kids
837
00:52:43,228 --> 00:52:45,996
and his daughter asked me
what I was doing today.
838
00:52:46,030 --> 00:52:48,999
And I explained that I was
going to do this documentary.
839
00:52:49,033 --> 00:52:51,702
And she asked me what it
was about and I said,
840
00:52:51,736 --> 00:52:55,640
"Well, it's about a boy named
Matthew Shepard who died."
841
00:52:57,908 --> 00:53:00,245
And she said,
"Why did he die?"
842
00:53:00,278 --> 00:53:02,613
And I said,
"Well, 'cause he was gay."
843
00:53:07,452 --> 00:53:11,856
And that was all I could think
to say about it
844
00:53:11,889 --> 00:53:13,258
to a 10-year-old.
845
00:53:16,160 --> 00:53:19,129
[dramatic music playing]
846
00:53:29,874 --> 00:53:31,942
[Marcus] After Matthew's death
was announced,
847
00:53:32,877 --> 00:53:34,979
there was such an outpouring
848
00:53:35,012 --> 00:53:37,615
across the country
with candlelight vigils
849
00:53:37,648 --> 00:53:40,451
in major cities
and small towns.
850
00:53:40,485 --> 00:53:43,921
I was astonished
by the outpouring of emotion.
851
00:53:44,989 --> 00:53:46,491
[Lambert] It broke
everybody's heart.
852
00:53:46,524 --> 00:53:50,027
And I think finally people
were starting to feel that,
853
00:53:50,060 --> 00:53:53,931
that no matter who you are,
no matter
what you identify as,
854
00:53:53,964 --> 00:53:55,866
no matter who you love,
855
00:53:55,900 --> 00:53:57,735
no one deserves
to be treated that way.
856
00:53:57,768 --> 00:53:59,670
[sirens wailing]
857
00:54:01,306 --> 00:54:03,741
[Mickelson] Matt's death
was a rallying point.
858
00:54:03,774 --> 00:54:05,410
People were angry,
859
00:54:05,443 --> 00:54:07,645
viscerally angry
about what was happening.
860
00:54:07,678 --> 00:54:11,449
Let us commit ourselves
to transforming the anger
861
00:54:11,482 --> 00:54:14,719
of this march
into sustained action.
862
00:54:14,752 --> 00:54:16,186
[protester]
Let's move tonight.
863
00:54:16,220 --> 00:54:18,122
Let's move
the country tonight.
864
00:54:18,155 --> 00:54:19,457
[protesters] Yeah.
865
00:54:19,490 --> 00:54:22,827
I am so... pissed off.
866
00:54:23,828 --> 00:54:25,496
[crowd clamoring]
867
00:54:27,932 --> 00:54:29,467
I can't stop crying.
868
00:54:30,935 --> 00:54:33,971
Here is an example.
This young kid
minding his own business
869
00:54:34,004 --> 00:54:36,807
gets murdered for no other
reason than he was gay.
870
00:54:36,841 --> 00:54:39,644
It was so sensational.
The story was so strong.
871
00:54:39,677 --> 00:54:41,912
And it was so clear
what had happened
872
00:54:41,946 --> 00:54:45,583
that you couldn't deny it
any further.
873
00:54:45,616 --> 00:54:48,853
[Barney Frank]
The determination we have
874
00:54:48,886 --> 00:54:50,688
will not diminish.
875
00:54:50,721 --> 00:54:53,791
[Dick Gephardt]
We still have a long way to go
876
00:54:53,824 --> 00:54:56,260
in our nation to make sure
877
00:54:56,361 --> 00:54:59,497
that hatred and intolerance
878
00:54:59,530 --> 00:55:02,066
are banished
from our country.
879
00:55:02,099 --> 00:55:04,502
[Marcus] It was astonishing.
880
00:55:05,570 --> 00:55:07,838
The only time I can recall
before that
881
00:55:07,872 --> 00:55:11,376
where there was that kind
of outpouring of emotion
and rage
882
00:55:11,409 --> 00:55:14,845
was when Harvey Milk
was assassinated in 1978.
883
00:55:14,879 --> 00:55:17,915
We must do more
884
00:55:17,948 --> 00:55:21,051
to deal with violent bigotry.
885
00:55:22,887 --> 00:55:24,755
Even though Matthew had died
886
00:55:24,789 --> 00:55:26,591
from an anti-gay hate crime,
887
00:55:26,624 --> 00:55:28,393
most of us were pretty naive
888
00:55:28,426 --> 00:55:30,428
about what anti-gay hate
looked like.
889
00:55:35,900 --> 00:55:38,403
-He's the one that said
he was a fag. I didn't.
-[man] Yeah.
890
00:55:38,436 --> 00:55:40,270
[Patterson] When we found out
that this guy,
891
00:55:40,304 --> 00:55:42,507
Fred Phelps,
from the Westboro
Baptist Church
892
00:55:42,540 --> 00:55:44,675
was coming to the funeral,
893
00:55:44,709 --> 00:55:47,244
it struck us as very odd.
894
00:55:47,277 --> 00:55:50,581
Like, why would someone come
protest at a funeral?
895
00:55:50,615 --> 00:55:52,717
I had never heard
of Fred Phelps before.
896
00:55:53,951 --> 00:55:56,521
Fred Phelps
coined the catchphrase,
897
00:55:56,554 --> 00:55:58,823
"God hates fags,"
and was just known
898
00:55:58,856 --> 00:56:02,126
for some really vulgar
and awful anti-gay rhetoric.
899
00:56:02,159 --> 00:56:03,861
[chattering indistinctly]
900
00:56:03,894 --> 00:56:06,497
[Rannells] It was just like
how much more horrific
901
00:56:06,531 --> 00:56:08,933
could a group
of people become?
902
00:56:08,966 --> 00:56:10,435
This seems like the right time
903
00:56:10,435 --> 00:56:14,138
to target this family,
904
00:56:14,171 --> 00:56:16,441
ruining this event
that should've been
905
00:56:16,474 --> 00:56:20,545
a very somber,
very respectful day.
906
00:56:20,578 --> 00:56:22,079
It's really shocking.
907
00:56:22,112 --> 00:56:23,881
Have you ever been
to a fag parade?
908
00:56:23,914 --> 00:56:25,149
[Fred] We didn't force
a fag...
909
00:56:25,182 --> 00:56:27,452
[Patterson] Him and his family
are holding up these signs
910
00:56:27,452 --> 00:56:29,053
like "Matt in hell"
911
00:56:29,086 --> 00:56:30,888
and "AIDS kills fags"
912
00:56:30,921 --> 00:56:33,223
and just like horrible,
hateful crap, right?
913
00:56:33,257 --> 00:56:34,792
You'll go to hell.
914
00:56:34,825 --> 00:56:36,260
You'll go to hell
just like Matthew Shepard
915
00:56:36,293 --> 00:56:37,895
for the hell he did
before he died.
916
00:56:37,928 --> 00:56:41,666
[Osborn] Romaine and I
knew that we had to
respond to that.
917
00:56:41,699 --> 00:56:44,134
We knew that it was probable
that Phelps
918
00:56:44,168 --> 00:56:47,337
and his group would
come back at some point.
919
00:56:47,371 --> 00:56:49,139
We felt that it was
important for us
920
00:56:49,173 --> 00:56:50,541
to send a message
921
00:56:50,575 --> 00:56:52,242
that we don't agree with that.
922
00:56:52,276 --> 00:56:54,712
That sort of thing
is not welcome here.
923
00:56:54,745 --> 00:56:57,147
We knew
we had to block them out.
924
00:56:57,181 --> 00:56:59,484
We wanted to
block out Fred Phelps
and all their horrible signs
925
00:56:59,517 --> 00:57:01,218
so that Judy and Dennis
would never have
926
00:57:01,251 --> 00:57:02,186
to look at their ugly faces.
927
00:57:04,021 --> 00:57:04,855
I had a plan.
928
00:57:11,662 --> 00:57:13,531
[suspenseful music playing]
929
00:57:16,534 --> 00:57:18,803
[Patterson] In the
in-between period
930
00:57:18,836 --> 00:57:20,638
between Matthew's
memorial service
931
00:57:20,671 --> 00:57:22,540
and then what was supposed
to be a hearing,
932
00:57:22,573 --> 00:57:24,341
really, for Russell Henderson,
933
00:57:24,374 --> 00:57:26,577
the world was crazy.
934
00:57:26,611 --> 00:57:29,079
Those of us who were actively
935
00:57:29,113 --> 00:57:30,681
still doing interviews,
936
00:57:30,715 --> 00:57:32,883
we talked
to Matthew's parents
937
00:57:32,917 --> 00:57:35,219
and asked what
they wanted us to say
938
00:57:35,252 --> 00:57:37,522
because that was important.
You know, we wanted
to make sure
939
00:57:37,522 --> 00:57:40,558
we were doing right,
not only by Matthew,
but by Judy and Dennis.
940
00:57:40,591 --> 00:57:42,760
We never stopped.
It never stopped.
941
00:57:42,793 --> 00:57:45,095
There was definitely,
you know, significant work
942
00:57:45,129 --> 00:57:47,231
happening with law enforcement
943
00:57:47,264 --> 00:57:50,367
and the court case, you know,
the county attorney's office.
944
00:57:50,400 --> 00:57:53,070
[Beck] A lot of motions
clarified in that time
945
00:57:53,103 --> 00:57:55,540
that this was going
to be a death penalty case.
946
00:57:55,573 --> 00:57:57,708
They had to separate
the two cases,
947
00:57:57,742 --> 00:57:59,544
so they weren't gonna be
tried together.
948
00:58:00,878 --> 00:58:04,048
[dramatic music playing]
949
00:58:07,818 --> 00:58:12,156
[Patterson] About a week prior
to Russell Henderson's trial,
950
00:58:12,189 --> 00:58:14,191
Jim Osborn calls me
and he says,
951
00:58:14,224 --> 00:58:16,226
"Fred Phelps is coming
to Laramie for the trials."
952
00:58:16,260 --> 00:58:17,895
And I said, "Great."
953
00:58:17,928 --> 00:58:19,764
The issue
and turn the country over
954
00:58:19,797 --> 00:58:22,332
to these militant sodomites.
955
00:58:22,366 --> 00:58:24,869
[Patterson] The whole exterior
of the courthouse
956
00:58:24,902 --> 00:58:26,837
was surrounded
by media people.
957
00:58:26,871 --> 00:58:28,573
There had to have been
like ten or fifteen
958
00:58:28,606 --> 00:58:30,775
satellite trucks,
hundreds of reporters.
959
00:58:30,808 --> 00:58:32,943
It was madness.
960
00:58:32,977 --> 00:58:35,212
And they're all focused
in on Fred Phelps
961
00:58:35,245 --> 00:58:36,847
and his horrible
anti-gay crap.
962
00:58:36,881 --> 00:58:39,584
In any nation that agrees
that it's okay to be gay
963
00:58:39,584 --> 00:58:42,319
will go the way
of ancient Sodom.
964
00:58:42,352 --> 00:58:44,021
And then all of a sudden,
this band of angels
965
00:58:44,054 --> 00:58:45,355
comes walking down the street
and they're like,
966
00:58:45,389 --> 00:58:46,857
"What the hell is this?"
967
00:58:46,891 --> 00:58:48,593
And like the parting
of the Red Sea,
968
00:58:48,626 --> 00:58:49,459
they all make way.
969
00:58:51,962 --> 00:58:54,832
-[people chattering
indistinctly]
-[woman] Yes.
970
00:58:54,865 --> 00:58:56,734
[Patterson] And we
surround Fred Phelps,
971
00:58:56,767 --> 00:58:58,903
we turn our backs to him,
and now we're angels.
972
00:59:00,170 --> 00:59:02,607
[Osborn] We didn't wanna let
that kind of hatred
973
00:59:02,607 --> 00:59:05,910
and bigotry come into
our community unchallenged.
974
00:59:07,878 --> 00:59:09,614
[Patterson]
And it worked very well.
975
00:59:09,614 --> 00:59:10,848
Fred Phelps can no longer
talk to people.
976
00:59:10,881 --> 00:59:12,316
He can no longer
yell at people.
977
00:59:12,349 --> 00:59:13,618
So, they just started
singing hymnals.
978
00:59:13,618 --> 00:59:15,219
And now there's angels
with floaty wings,
979
00:59:15,252 --> 00:59:17,454
listening to, you know,
beautiful hymns
980
00:59:17,487 --> 00:59:21,458
and it was serene
and surreal and just wild.
981
00:59:25,896 --> 00:59:29,433
[Beck] Russell Henderson's
public defender,
Wyatt Skaggs,
982
00:59:29,466 --> 00:59:31,802
had a number
of death penalty cases
983
00:59:31,836 --> 00:59:34,639
and he really didn't want
anything to go to trial.
984
00:59:34,672 --> 00:59:37,207
And he saw the evidence.
He knew what they had.
985
00:59:37,241 --> 00:59:40,044
Really worked tirelessly,
since this case began
986
00:59:40,077 --> 00:59:42,379
with one goal in mind.
987
00:59:42,412 --> 00:59:44,248
And that was
to save Russell's life.
988
01:00:16,113 --> 01:00:19,483
Judge Donnell just said
this was a horrific murder.
989
01:00:19,516 --> 01:00:21,318
When you look
at all the facts in the case,
990
01:00:21,351 --> 01:00:23,420
there's just no way
he should be out in public.
991
01:00:23,453 --> 01:00:26,256
And he gave him, you know,
the consecutive sentences.
992
01:00:26,290 --> 01:00:27,792
And so he's in for life.
993
01:00:29,193 --> 01:00:32,262
Chasity Pasley,
who was Russell's girlfriend,
994
01:00:32,296 --> 01:00:36,801
got sentenced to about
a year and a half in prison.
995
01:00:36,834 --> 01:00:38,903
Aaron McKinney's girlfriend,
Kristen Price,
996
01:00:38,936 --> 01:00:41,538
ended up not ever
serving any time,
997
01:00:41,571 --> 01:00:44,742
other than her initial
arrest time that she had
998
01:00:44,775 --> 01:00:47,077
and just kind of moved on
with her life.
999
01:00:53,784 --> 01:00:57,454
With those three
out of the way,
it became the trial.
1000
01:00:57,487 --> 01:01:00,624
Aaron McKinney, he was facing
the death penalty.
1001
01:01:00,657 --> 01:01:02,459
And that was the main event
1002
01:01:02,492 --> 01:01:04,061
that everyone
had been waiting for.
1003
01:01:20,745 --> 01:01:22,813
There was a couple of things
still at play
1004
01:01:22,847 --> 01:01:25,382
that this was just
a robbery gone bad
1005
01:01:25,415 --> 01:01:28,853
and this had nothing to do
with hate crimes.
1006
01:01:28,886 --> 01:01:32,089
But this was a hate crime,
no doubt about it.
1007
01:01:33,423 --> 01:01:36,160
But one of the things
that the defense did
1008
01:01:36,193 --> 01:01:38,562
is they used
the gay panic defense
1009
01:01:38,595 --> 01:01:40,397
that none of
this would've happened
1010
01:01:40,430 --> 01:01:42,767
if Matthew Shepard
didn't reach at his groin
1011
01:01:42,767 --> 01:01:46,436
and touch him there,
and that caused him to snap.
1012
01:01:46,470 --> 01:01:49,239
Gay panic defense
is meant to say
1013
01:01:49,273 --> 01:01:53,510
that someone's gay
or queer or trans identity
1014
01:01:53,543 --> 01:01:56,513
is reason enough to harm them,
1015
01:01:56,546 --> 01:01:59,616
that that is something violent
and threatening
1016
01:01:59,649 --> 01:02:02,820
and is legally permissible
1017
01:02:02,853 --> 01:02:04,789
to take violent action
towards them.
1018
01:02:05,856 --> 01:02:07,657
[Marcus] It wasn't
the first time.
1019
01:02:07,691 --> 01:02:10,527
There have been a number
of occasions in the past
1020
01:02:10,560 --> 01:02:13,798
and about 30% of the cases
where this defense was used,
1021
01:02:13,798 --> 01:02:15,399
people got a reduced sentence.
1022
01:02:16,834 --> 01:02:20,337
[suspenseful music playing]
1023
01:02:20,370 --> 01:02:23,373
[Beck] And one of the things
that the defense also did
1024
01:02:23,407 --> 01:02:25,709
is they used the fact
that Aaron McKinney
1025
01:02:25,810 --> 01:02:29,814
was a victim
of sexual abuse as a child.
1026
01:02:29,814 --> 01:02:32,016
They need to explain
that he's got some
1027
01:02:32,049 --> 01:02:34,584
very raw emotions about this,
1028
01:02:34,618 --> 01:02:37,354
and if somebody is making
a move on him,
1029
01:02:37,387 --> 01:02:39,389
that's gonna trigger
some things
1030
01:02:39,423 --> 01:02:42,993
and lead to this beating,
lead to this attack.
1031
01:02:43,027 --> 01:02:44,862
[Marcus] There were plenty
of people who believed
1032
01:02:44,895 --> 01:02:47,832
that Matthew Shepard
as a gay man
1033
01:02:47,865 --> 01:02:49,333
got what he deserved.
1034
01:02:49,366 --> 01:02:52,269
I really do think
that the McKinney crowd
1035
01:02:52,302 --> 01:02:54,138
thought that that would work,
1036
01:02:54,171 --> 01:02:55,973
and I was bracing for it.
1037
01:03:01,545 --> 01:03:04,214
[suspenseful music playing]
1038
01:03:04,248 --> 01:03:07,251
Soon as the gay panic
defense came up,
1039
01:03:07,284 --> 01:03:08,685
the prosecutor objected.
1040
01:03:08,718 --> 01:03:10,287
Well, I think
that is a defense
1041
01:03:10,320 --> 01:03:12,957
that is atrocious,
that should not be used
1042
01:03:12,990 --> 01:03:16,593
in any situation,
1043
01:03:16,626 --> 01:03:18,362
in any court
in these United States.
1044
01:03:18,395 --> 01:03:20,898
It gives people the excuse
1045
01:03:20,931 --> 01:03:22,532
to hurt or to kill
another person.
1046
01:03:49,626 --> 01:03:51,195
[news reporter]
The ruling comes as a relief
1047
01:03:51,228 --> 01:03:53,097
to those who support
Shepard's family
1048
01:03:53,130 --> 01:03:55,365
and those who support
gay issues.
1049
01:03:55,399 --> 01:03:59,003
Even if Matthew made a pass
at Aaron McKinney,
1050
01:03:59,036 --> 01:04:02,472
all he had to say was,
"No, thank you,"
1051
01:04:02,506 --> 01:04:05,809
which is what women have had
to say over and over again
1052
01:04:05,910 --> 01:04:07,644
because men make
unwanted passes.
1053
01:04:07,677 --> 01:04:09,113
He didn't have
to beat him to death
1054
01:04:09,146 --> 01:04:10,280
with the butt of a gun.
1055
01:04:10,314 --> 01:04:11,916
It's a pathetic defense.
1056
01:04:11,916 --> 01:04:13,650
[Burlingame]
The gay panic defense
1057
01:04:13,683 --> 01:04:16,020
is the perfect articulation
1058
01:04:16,053 --> 01:04:19,723
of how profoundly
we blamed the victims
1059
01:04:19,756 --> 01:04:23,227
of homophobic
and transphobic crime.
1060
01:04:27,731 --> 01:04:29,666
[news reporter] Jury found
Aaron McKinney guilty
1061
01:04:29,699 --> 01:04:31,268
of two counts of murder
1062
01:04:31,301 --> 01:04:33,971
plus aggravated robbery
and kidnapping.
1063
01:04:34,004 --> 01:04:37,041
The verdicts came
after just 10 hours
of deliberation.
1064
01:04:37,074 --> 01:04:40,577
And then we were
all gearing up for what
we expected to be
1065
01:04:40,610 --> 01:04:43,713
a pretty good
death penalty discussion.
1066
01:04:43,747 --> 01:04:45,615
And then out of nowhere,
it was announced that
1067
01:04:45,649 --> 01:04:47,484
that's not
what was gonna happen.
1068
01:04:47,517 --> 01:04:49,987
[news reporter]
After being approached
by defense attorneys,
1069
01:04:50,020 --> 01:04:53,057
the Shepards recommended
McKinney be given life
1070
01:04:53,090 --> 01:04:56,860
rather than death in memory
of their son.
1071
01:04:56,961 --> 01:04:58,963
In an emotional address
to the court,
1072
01:04:58,963 --> 01:05:00,797
Dennis Shepard told McKinney,
1073
01:05:00,830 --> 01:05:03,600
"You robbed me
of something very precious.
1074
01:05:03,633 --> 01:05:06,636
Mr. McKinney, I give you life
1075
01:05:06,670 --> 01:05:09,974
in the memory
of one who no longer lives.
1076
01:05:09,974 --> 01:05:11,976
May you have a long life
1077
01:05:12,009 --> 01:05:15,412
and may you thank Matthew
every day for it."
1078
01:05:17,081 --> 01:05:20,384
I was so moved by his words
and his compassion
1079
01:05:20,417 --> 01:05:22,352
and his ability to forgive.
1080
01:05:22,386 --> 01:05:25,589
And I thought, this is
the dawning of something new.
1081
01:05:28,725 --> 01:05:32,362
[Marcus]
After Matthew's death,
there was so much organizing
1082
01:05:32,396 --> 01:05:34,331
and so much forward momentum
1083
01:05:34,364 --> 01:05:39,003
and so many public demands
for legislation
1084
01:05:39,603 --> 01:05:41,271
for hate crimes.
1085
01:05:42,406 --> 01:05:46,276
Very quickly, the President
took up this cause.
1086
01:05:46,310 --> 01:05:49,313
And I think that in part,
that's because the country
1087
01:05:49,346 --> 01:05:51,648
was ready to have
the conversation.
1088
01:05:51,681 --> 01:05:53,783
Hate crimes laws
had been proposed
1089
01:05:53,817 --> 01:05:57,087
in Congress multiple times
and failed multiple times.
1090
01:05:57,121 --> 01:06:01,158
This was not something
that had never been
discussed before.
1091
01:06:01,191 --> 01:06:03,860
The Hate Crimes Prevention Act
would be important
1092
01:06:04,028 --> 01:06:06,930
substantively and symbolically
1093
01:06:07,031 --> 01:06:10,300
to send a message to ourselves
and to the world
1094
01:06:10,334 --> 01:06:13,170
that we are going
into the 21st century
1095
01:06:13,203 --> 01:06:17,674
determined to preach
and to practice what is right.
1096
01:06:17,707 --> 01:06:20,210
It also wasn't surprising
to me that ultimately
1097
01:06:20,244 --> 01:06:22,446
that legislation died
in committee
1098
01:06:22,479 --> 01:06:24,181
because they weren't so quick
1099
01:06:24,214 --> 01:06:25,949
to pick up the ball
and run with it.
1100
01:06:40,397 --> 01:06:42,766
[Patterson] I think the
Matthew Shepard Foundation
1101
01:06:42,799 --> 01:06:46,370
is one of the really
important things
1102
01:06:46,403 --> 01:06:48,205
to come out
of Matthew's death.
1103
01:07:09,293 --> 01:07:11,528
There is no excuse
for what happened to Matthew
1104
01:07:11,561 --> 01:07:13,997
and something needs
to be done to curb
1105
01:07:14,098 --> 01:07:17,101
this hatred that seems
to be permeating society.
1106
01:07:17,101 --> 01:07:20,404
Which ultimately, becomes
this incredible mission
1107
01:07:20,437 --> 01:07:24,108
of erasing hate
through legislation.
1108
01:07:24,108 --> 01:07:25,275
[man] We're gonna go ahead
and get started.
1109
01:07:31,448 --> 01:07:33,150
[news reporter]
Down this dirt road,
1110
01:07:33,183 --> 01:07:35,352
Byrd was murdered
early Sunday morning.
1111
01:07:35,385 --> 01:07:37,621
The killers left
a trail of blood
1112
01:07:37,654 --> 01:07:40,757
and the trail of evidence
as they drove along this road.
1113
01:07:40,790 --> 01:07:43,893
[O'Donnell] The combination
of the horrific racism
1114
01:07:43,927 --> 01:07:46,930
of James Byrd's death
and the homophobia
1115
01:07:46,963 --> 01:07:50,567
in Matthew's,
I think are forever linked.
1116
01:07:50,600 --> 01:07:53,803
They're forever linked
emotionally and morally.
1117
01:07:53,837 --> 01:07:58,408
They're evils of the...
Of the same pile,
1118
01:07:58,442 --> 01:08:02,412
you know, and that they're
linked together as we all,
1119
01:08:02,446 --> 01:08:05,582
you know, move forward
for equality in this country.
1120
01:08:05,615 --> 01:08:07,784
This is an issue
we couldn't let go by.
1121
01:08:07,817 --> 01:08:09,619
I have a window
of opportunity here
1122
01:08:09,653 --> 01:08:11,155
that I wanna
take advantage of.
1123
01:08:29,973 --> 01:08:31,608
[Patterson] All of a sudden,
1124
01:08:31,640 --> 01:08:34,178
this tremendous responsibility
fell upon her.
1125
01:08:34,178 --> 01:08:35,779
She doesn't like crowds,
1126
01:08:35,812 --> 01:08:37,546
she doesn't like being
in front of people,
1127
01:08:37,581 --> 01:08:39,383
and yet despite all of that,
1128
01:08:40,716 --> 01:08:43,187
she continued to do it
day after day.
1129
01:08:44,254 --> 01:08:46,055
[Patterson] When I think about
1130
01:08:46,089 --> 01:08:48,358
how she responded to it,
1131
01:08:48,392 --> 01:08:50,560
if you don't have respect
for that woman,
1132
01:08:50,594 --> 01:08:53,062
you don't even know
the meaning of the work.
1133
01:08:53,095 --> 01:08:56,200
Today's hearing
is a very important one
1134
01:08:56,200 --> 01:08:59,736
and focuses on the serious
problem of hate crimes.
1135
01:08:59,769 --> 01:09:02,971
Think of the incidence
of recent violent crimes
1136
01:09:03,006 --> 01:09:05,209
that are motivated
by hate and bigotry
1137
01:09:05,242 --> 01:09:08,077
and how they've seared
the conscience
of this country.
1138
01:09:08,111 --> 01:09:10,880
And so people were like,
"Let's talk about this.
1139
01:09:10,913 --> 01:09:14,082
Let's talk about it right now,
because if we don't,
1140
01:09:14,117 --> 01:09:17,654
this is gonna continue
to happen and we cannot
afford that."
1141
01:09:17,687 --> 01:09:21,291
It took society, I think,
a while to understand
1142
01:09:21,325 --> 01:09:24,961
what it is to protect
minorities in this country
1143
01:09:24,993 --> 01:09:28,398
who don't often have a voice
socially or politically,
1144
01:09:28,432 --> 01:09:32,868
and who get demonized
and treated as less than.
1145
01:09:35,671 --> 01:09:39,676
The fact that
this legislation exists
1146
01:09:39,709 --> 01:09:42,246
highlights these crimes
1147
01:09:42,246 --> 01:09:45,014
as something
other than just a murder.
1148
01:09:45,048 --> 01:09:47,082
These are committed
specifically
1149
01:09:47,116 --> 01:09:49,786
because the individual
committing the crime
1150
01:09:49,819 --> 01:09:51,621
hates that person
1151
01:09:51,654 --> 01:09:54,258
because of who they are,
fundamentally.
1152
01:09:54,258 --> 01:09:57,026
We were just asking
to not be murdered.
1153
01:09:57,060 --> 01:09:59,363
It is the most modest
of requests.
1154
01:10:00,397 --> 01:10:03,667
Hate crimes have no place
in America.
1155
01:10:04,268 --> 01:10:06,670
[gavel banging]
1156
01:10:08,305 --> 01:10:11,007
In 2007, a version
of the Matthew Shepard
1157
01:10:11,040 --> 01:10:13,877
Hate Crimes Act was
reintroduced to the Senate.
1158
01:10:13,910 --> 01:10:15,345
It passed the house...
1159
01:10:15,379 --> 01:10:19,015
On this bill,
the yays are 237.
1160
01:10:19,048 --> 01:10:20,917
The nays are 180.
1161
01:10:20,950 --> 01:10:22,151
The bill is passed.
1162
01:10:22,185 --> 01:10:24,421
[people cheering]
1163
01:10:24,454 --> 01:10:27,924
It was attached to the Defense
Authorization Act.
1164
01:10:27,957 --> 01:10:30,059
President Bush
said he would veto
1165
01:10:30,093 --> 01:10:32,161
the Defense
Authorization Act, however,
1166
01:10:32,195 --> 01:10:35,031
if this Hate Crimes Act
was attached to it.
1167
01:10:35,064 --> 01:10:36,466
So ultimately it was removed
1168
01:10:36,500 --> 01:10:38,167
from the Defense
Authorization Act
1169
01:10:38,201 --> 01:10:39,536
and it died on the floor.
1170
01:10:42,472 --> 01:10:44,107
[Burlingame] If you track
the trajectory
1171
01:10:44,140 --> 01:10:46,910
of the hate crimes
being introduced,
1172
01:10:46,943 --> 01:10:48,378
there's something
really instructive
1173
01:10:48,412 --> 01:10:50,747
about what
our movement, right?
1174
01:10:50,780 --> 01:10:53,182
Like advocating for the full
1175
01:10:53,216 --> 01:10:55,952
dignity and health
of LGBTQ people,
1176
01:10:55,985 --> 01:10:58,355
what we learned
in the process,
1177
01:10:58,388 --> 01:11:02,058
once we sort of coalesced
around like the love
1178
01:11:02,091 --> 01:11:06,330
is love message
that helped progress us.
1179
01:11:17,674 --> 01:11:20,877
And it haunts me to this day,
1180
01:11:22,446 --> 01:11:25,081
to think about how many times
1181
01:11:25,114 --> 01:11:28,151
she has bared her soul
and her pain
1182
01:11:28,985 --> 01:11:30,920
for the benefit of others.
1183
01:11:33,122 --> 01:11:36,360
How many hearts
she has changed.
1184
01:11:36,360 --> 01:11:38,895
How many minds
she has expanded.
1185
01:11:43,933 --> 01:11:47,904
Thank you so much and welcome
to the White House.
1186
01:11:55,111 --> 01:11:57,381
You know, as a nation,
we've come far
1187
01:11:57,381 --> 01:12:00,149
on the journey towards
a more perfect union,
1188
01:12:00,183 --> 01:12:02,386
and today we've taken
another step forward.
1189
01:12:02,386 --> 01:12:04,388
This afternoon
I signed into law
1190
01:12:04,388 --> 01:12:06,956
the Matthew Shepard
and James Byrd Jr.
1191
01:12:06,990 --> 01:12:10,394
-Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
-[applauding]
1192
01:12:10,394 --> 01:12:12,429
[Marcus] It took 11 years
from Matthew's murder
1193
01:12:12,462 --> 01:12:15,131
to get hate crimes
legislation signed,
1194
01:12:15,164 --> 01:12:19,403
that seemed quick to me
for legislation
1195
01:12:19,436 --> 01:12:22,939
covering something that's
as potentially controversial
1196
01:12:22,972 --> 01:12:27,243
as protecting gay people
and others
1197
01:12:27,276 --> 01:12:29,479
from hate crimes.
1198
01:12:57,340 --> 01:13:00,309
[all applauding]
1199
01:13:01,945 --> 01:13:03,346
[Marcus] I was shocked
1200
01:13:03,447 --> 01:13:05,449
and, uh... [chuckles]
1201
01:13:08,952 --> 01:13:12,088
And moved to tears
then and again now.
1202
01:13:12,121 --> 01:13:14,724
There is something
1203
01:13:14,758 --> 01:13:16,460
so important about knowing
1204
01:13:16,460 --> 01:13:20,797
that your government,
my government cares about me.
1205
01:13:22,499 --> 01:13:24,501
[Lambert] What that started
to set up was awareness
1206
01:13:24,534 --> 01:13:26,703
for equal rights legislation.
1207
01:13:26,736 --> 01:13:29,272
And it started something.
1208
01:13:29,305 --> 01:13:33,142
It started the country
taking this seriously
1209
01:13:33,176 --> 01:13:36,546
and trying to protect us
as members of the country.
1210
01:13:38,381 --> 01:13:40,183
[Marcus] What happened
to Matthew Shepard
1211
01:13:40,216 --> 01:13:42,018
was a key turning point.
1212
01:13:42,051 --> 01:13:43,853
The legislation that was
passed ultimately
1213
01:13:43,887 --> 01:13:46,022
because of his murder
is very important
1214
01:13:46,055 --> 01:13:47,991
for our community.
1215
01:13:48,024 --> 01:13:50,960
I think a lot of us thought
that it was over,
1216
01:13:50,994 --> 01:13:53,563
that we didn't have
to fight anymore,
1217
01:13:53,597 --> 01:13:55,264
that we were accepted.
1218
01:13:55,298 --> 01:13:59,235
We were so wrong
on so many levels.
1219
01:14:03,740 --> 01:14:07,043
The years following
the signing of federal
hate crimes legislation
1220
01:14:07,076 --> 01:14:09,245
felt like
an almost golden age.
1221
01:14:11,314 --> 01:14:15,184
We were starting to feel like
we're actually gonna live
1222
01:14:15,218 --> 01:14:17,153
in a country that welcomes us.
1223
01:14:17,186 --> 01:14:19,823
We were in a great place.
1224
01:14:19,856 --> 01:14:22,058
There was not really
a worry or a concern
1225
01:14:22,091 --> 01:14:24,360
when we woke up
in the morning about,
you know,
1226
01:14:24,393 --> 01:14:27,063
having to put on extra armor
or the shield, right?
1227
01:14:27,096 --> 01:14:29,533
I mean, we felt freer.
1228
01:14:29,566 --> 01:14:31,535
[Mickelson] It created
this feeling of momentum
1229
01:14:31,535 --> 01:14:33,603
and this feeling of like,
we finally figured out
1230
01:14:33,637 --> 01:14:35,805
as a country how to like,
1231
01:14:35,839 --> 01:14:37,874
make people feel included
1232
01:14:37,907 --> 01:14:40,209
and to like
celebrate difference.
1233
01:14:42,612 --> 01:14:45,815
[people cheering]
1234
01:14:45,849 --> 01:14:47,717
This morning, I am proud
1235
01:14:48,818 --> 01:14:51,354
to sign a law
that will bring an end
1236
01:14:51,387 --> 01:14:52,989
to Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
1237
01:14:53,022 --> 01:14:55,992
[cheering and applauding]
1238
01:15:01,898 --> 01:15:04,133
And in 2015
when the Supreme Court
1239
01:15:04,167 --> 01:15:05,702
ruled on marriage equality,
1240
01:15:05,735 --> 01:15:08,171
and then same-sex marriage
1241
01:15:08,204 --> 01:15:10,039
was legal across the land.
1242
01:15:12,008 --> 01:15:15,378
[Brett] The ban
on gay adoption was,
you know, dropped.
1243
01:15:15,411 --> 01:15:17,947
And so all of a sudden,
our whole family structure,
1244
01:15:17,981 --> 01:15:21,117
which had been illegal
in this country
1245
01:15:21,150 --> 01:15:24,220
and in this state,
was now a thing of the past.
1246
01:15:24,253 --> 01:15:26,122
So we were legally married
in the state of Florida.
1247
01:15:26,155 --> 01:15:28,191
We could now legally
adopt children
1248
01:15:28,224 --> 01:15:30,426
in the state of Florida.
1249
01:15:30,459 --> 01:15:33,029
This wonderful glow of being,
you know, new dads.
1250
01:15:33,062 --> 01:15:34,831
-I loved every minute of it.
-Yeah. It was...
1251
01:15:35,464 --> 01:15:37,300
It was amazing.
1252
01:15:37,333 --> 01:15:39,202
Um, it was amazing.
1253
01:15:40,670 --> 01:15:42,105
It was a step
in the right direction.
1254
01:15:42,138 --> 01:15:43,607
It was a step in acceptance.
1255
01:15:45,074 --> 01:15:46,910
And I let my guard down
thinking that
1256
01:15:46,943 --> 01:15:48,712
things are only
gonna get better.
1257
01:15:48,745 --> 01:15:50,479
And I've lived
long enough to see
1258
01:15:50,513 --> 01:15:54,117
multiple... waves
1259
01:15:54,150 --> 01:15:57,186
of progress and backlash.
1260
01:15:57,220 --> 01:15:59,155
Should have seen it coming,
and I didn't.
1261
01:15:59,188 --> 01:16:02,158
[cheering]
1262
01:16:04,427 --> 01:16:06,462
[Brett] Election night,
1263
01:16:06,495 --> 01:16:10,199
the election night of 2016,
1264
01:16:10,233 --> 01:16:12,401
I am devastated
because I don't know
1265
01:16:12,435 --> 01:16:14,303
what this means for my family.
1266
01:16:14,337 --> 01:16:17,974
I remember people
that were supporting
1267
01:16:18,007 --> 01:16:20,276
of the then president,
1268
01:16:20,309 --> 01:16:22,979
"Oh, they're not...
Nothing's gonna change."
1269
01:16:23,012 --> 01:16:24,047
-Mmm-hmm.
-They're not gonna...
1270
01:16:24,080 --> 01:16:25,114
They're not gonna touch
1271
01:16:25,148 --> 01:16:26,750
any LGBTQ rights.
1272
01:16:26,783 --> 01:16:29,552
And I'm like, "You're naive."
1273
01:16:29,653 --> 01:16:33,657
I, Donald John Trump,
do solemnly swear.
1274
01:16:33,657 --> 01:16:37,426
I knew this was a potentially
very dark time ahead.
1275
01:16:37,460 --> 01:16:39,362
The furies had been unleashed.
1276
01:16:39,395 --> 01:16:41,831
[crowd] Trump! Trump! Trump!
1277
01:16:41,865 --> 01:16:43,700
[Marcus] With a backlash
1278
01:16:43,733 --> 01:16:45,735
that I couldn't
have imagined.
1279
01:16:45,769 --> 01:16:48,071
They are worthy of death.
1280
01:16:48,104 --> 01:16:51,307
These people should be
put to death.
1281
01:16:51,340 --> 01:16:54,343
[Cudmore] 2016 began with
the bathroom bill
1282
01:16:54,377 --> 01:16:57,146
that was North Carolina's
legislation
1283
01:16:57,180 --> 01:17:00,083
to prevent trans-students
from using the bathroom
1284
01:17:00,116 --> 01:17:01,951
that aligned
with their gender identity.
1285
01:17:01,985 --> 01:17:04,253
My name is Erin Reed.
I use she/her pronouns.
1286
01:17:04,287 --> 01:17:06,255
I'm a queer legislative
researcher
1287
01:17:06,289 --> 01:17:08,091
and activist,
and a content creator.
1288
01:17:08,124 --> 01:17:10,426
Those of us who are active
in the LGBTQ community
1289
01:17:10,459 --> 01:17:12,461
and in LGBTQ rights
1290
01:17:12,495 --> 01:17:15,398
had a lot of fear that
our rights would be curtailed.
1291
01:17:15,431 --> 01:17:18,567
And those fears
came to fruition
relatively quickly.
1292
01:17:22,706 --> 01:17:24,808
The purpose
of our school system
1293
01:17:24,841 --> 01:17:27,410
is to educate kids,
not to indoctrinate our kids.
1294
01:17:27,443 --> 01:17:28,878
[crowd] Correct!
1295
01:17:28,912 --> 01:17:30,613
My name is Zander Moricz.
1296
01:17:30,714 --> 01:17:32,415
I knew about Matthew Shepard,
1297
01:17:32,448 --> 01:17:36,152
but I don't know
if that narrative is as widely
1298
01:17:36,185 --> 01:17:37,787
acknowledged as I would
like it to be
1299
01:17:37,821 --> 01:17:40,023
because these stories
are essential
1300
01:17:40,056 --> 01:17:42,425
to share and reflect on.
1301
01:17:42,458 --> 01:17:44,493
I was raised
in Sarasota, Florida,
1302
01:17:44,527 --> 01:17:47,430
which is a pretty politically
polarized community,
1303
01:17:47,463 --> 01:17:50,934
and I found sanctuary
in my school community.
1304
01:17:52,769 --> 01:17:54,838
I came out to
a civics teacher
at Pine View,
1305
01:17:54,871 --> 01:17:56,572
who was then
my PE teacher actually.
1306
01:17:56,605 --> 01:17:58,742
It was a safe space.
It was exactly
1307
01:17:58,742 --> 01:17:59,876
what a school is meant to be.
1308
01:17:59,909 --> 01:18:01,644
It's a place to learn
1309
01:18:01,745 --> 01:18:04,748
and discover not only things
in subjects but yourself.
1310
01:18:05,982 --> 01:18:07,751
That environment
1311
01:18:07,784 --> 01:18:09,452
that is so accepting,
that is so affirming,
1312
01:18:09,485 --> 01:18:11,454
is a threat
to the politicians
1313
01:18:11,487 --> 01:18:13,622
and they need a solution
for that.
1314
01:18:13,656 --> 01:18:15,558
And the solution is,
"Okay, it's all happening
1315
01:18:15,591 --> 01:18:17,660
in these safe spaces.
We'll take them away."
1316
01:18:17,761 --> 01:18:20,029
And the Don't Say Gay law
was an example of that.
1317
01:18:20,063 --> 01:18:22,231
No sexual instruction
1318
01:18:22,265 --> 01:18:24,968
in grades pre-K through three.
1319
01:18:25,001 --> 01:18:26,836
And so how many parents
1320
01:18:26,870 --> 01:18:29,806
want their kindergartners
to have transgenderism
1321
01:18:29,839 --> 01:18:33,476
or something injected
into classroom instruction?
1322
01:18:33,509 --> 01:18:35,544
When this was first
introduced as a bill,
1323
01:18:35,578 --> 01:18:37,781
our boys were in first grade.
1324
01:18:37,814 --> 01:18:40,516
The bill is supposed
to impact kids' kindergarten
through third grade.
1325
01:18:40,549 --> 01:18:43,119
So, this was bringing it home
directly for us.
1326
01:18:43,152 --> 01:18:45,789
The Don't Say Gay bill
is now law.
1327
01:18:45,822 --> 01:18:48,391
Governor Ron DeSantis Monday
signed the measure
1328
01:18:48,424 --> 01:18:50,927
banning certain instruction
about sexual orientation
1329
01:18:50,960 --> 01:18:54,363
and gender identity
in the classroom.
1330
01:18:54,397 --> 01:18:56,800
One of the things that makes
this piece of legislation
1331
01:18:56,800 --> 01:18:58,868
so horrifying is the way
that it's enforced.
1332
01:18:58,902 --> 01:19:01,104
The enforcement mechanism
is that any parent
1333
01:19:01,137 --> 01:19:03,940
-can sue a school district.
-[activists chanting]
1334
01:19:03,973 --> 01:19:06,910
[news reporter] Opposition
to the bill grew louder
in recent days.
1335
01:19:06,943 --> 01:19:09,378
[Lambert] For a public school
teacher in Florida
1336
01:19:09,412 --> 01:19:12,348
to get in trouble
for having maybe a photo
1337
01:19:12,381 --> 01:19:14,483
of their spouse on their desk.
1338
01:19:14,517 --> 01:19:17,453
We can't even take
a risk. Imagine what
the consequence would be.
1339
01:19:17,486 --> 01:19:20,824
What's going on?
We are like going
completely backwards.
1340
01:19:20,824 --> 01:19:23,192
Although Ron DeSantis
said that it was intended
1341
01:19:23,226 --> 01:19:26,896
to protect only the youngest
children from,
1342
01:19:26,930 --> 01:19:30,033
you know, being indoctrinated
into homosexuality,
1343
01:19:30,066 --> 01:19:33,736
the law's been expanded
to apply to kids
1344
01:19:33,837 --> 01:19:36,439
in grades K through 12.
1345
01:19:36,472 --> 01:19:39,208
-The amount of silence...
-Mmm-hmm.
1346
01:19:39,242 --> 01:19:41,044
...was deafening.
1347
01:19:41,077 --> 01:19:43,179
We are still seeing
hateful attacks
1348
01:19:43,212 --> 01:19:46,349
like the attack on Matthew
and what that signifies to us
1349
01:19:46,382 --> 01:19:47,851
is not that there hasn't
been any progress,
1350
01:19:47,884 --> 01:19:49,418
but that that hate
still exists.
1351
01:19:49,452 --> 01:19:51,988
And that's like
the enemy of equality.
1352
01:19:57,560 --> 01:20:00,729
In Texas, the governor
had a directive
1353
01:20:00,763 --> 01:20:03,967
to prevent trans-youth
1354
01:20:04,000 --> 01:20:07,570
from accessing transgender
affirming medical care.
1355
01:20:07,603 --> 01:20:09,338
[news reporter] The governor's
directive was to investigate
1356
01:20:09,372 --> 01:20:11,908
some Texas parents
of transgender children
1357
01:20:11,941 --> 01:20:13,742
for potential child abuse,
1358
01:20:13,776 --> 01:20:15,544
specifically parents
who provided gender
1359
01:20:15,578 --> 01:20:17,680
affirming care
that stops puberty.
1360
01:20:18,514 --> 01:20:20,183
[Burlingame]
Those bills do harm.
1361
01:20:20,216 --> 01:20:23,052
They create bullying
for transgender youth.
1362
01:20:23,086 --> 01:20:26,355
Transgender youth deserve
to be protected and safe.
1363
01:20:26,389 --> 01:20:29,258
You don't hear
anything like that from
Governor Abbott, right?
1364
01:20:29,292 --> 01:20:30,593
Like, you hear the reverse.
1365
01:20:30,626 --> 01:20:32,929
You hear this dehumanization
1366
01:20:32,962 --> 01:20:36,165
of kids from Governor Abbott.
1367
01:20:36,199 --> 01:20:39,903
And somehow from 2016 to now
1368
01:20:39,936 --> 01:20:41,504
that has become normalized.
1369
01:20:41,537 --> 01:20:43,106
All this is going to do
1370
01:20:43,139 --> 01:20:45,441
is force a lot of us
back into hiding.
1371
01:20:46,509 --> 01:20:48,644
What can they do?
They can hide.
1372
01:20:48,677 --> 01:20:50,013
That's about
all there is left.
1373
01:20:50,046 --> 01:20:51,847
Or they can fight.
1374
01:20:51,881 --> 01:20:54,250
And neither one
of those options feels good,
1375
01:20:55,218 --> 01:20:57,220
but that's what's left.
1376
01:20:57,253 --> 01:20:59,989
I mean, hide or fight,
you know?
1377
01:21:00,023 --> 01:21:02,525
Matthew Shepard's death
was horrific,
1378
01:21:02,558 --> 01:21:05,328
but it's also this violence
is commonplace.
1379
01:21:06,429 --> 01:21:08,331
We're so grateful
that you're with us here
1380
01:21:08,364 --> 01:21:12,168
as we cover a mass
casualty shooting
1381
01:21:12,201 --> 01:21:15,038
in downtown Orlando.
1382
01:21:15,071 --> 01:21:17,840
[Cudmore] Physical violence
like the massacre
1383
01:21:17,941 --> 01:21:21,244
at Pulse nightclub
in Florida,
1384
01:21:21,277 --> 01:21:25,448
or the mass shooting at Club Q
in Colorado Springs,
1385
01:21:25,481 --> 01:21:27,516
that teaches our queer youth
1386
01:21:27,550 --> 01:21:30,586
and queer people in general
to be terrified,
1387
01:21:30,619 --> 01:21:35,358
that based on
their identity alone
they can be slaughtered.
1388
01:21:35,391 --> 01:21:37,560
[Marcus] The sad fact
is that people
are always going to hate.
1389
01:21:37,593 --> 01:21:39,362
And no matter what we do,
1390
01:21:39,395 --> 01:21:42,098
we keep coming back
to the same horrible places.
1391
01:21:43,366 --> 01:21:45,468
But we can't not fight.
1392
01:21:45,501 --> 01:21:47,236
We have to continue to fight.
1393
01:21:47,270 --> 01:21:49,973
And that means
being visible when you can
1394
01:21:50,006 --> 01:21:52,976
to your family,
to your friends,
to your community.
1395
01:21:53,977 --> 01:21:56,445
[Burlingame] The people
who are part of that,
1396
01:21:56,479 --> 01:21:59,548
you know, movable middle,
who are your neighbors,
1397
01:21:59,582 --> 01:22:03,352
who just need to hear
a different message,
1398
01:22:03,386 --> 01:22:05,554
invite them in,
have that conversation.
1399
01:22:05,588 --> 01:22:09,225
On the other side,
like conservative folks,
1400
01:22:09,258 --> 01:22:11,995
you're gonna have
to find your moral courage.
1401
01:22:12,028 --> 01:22:14,463
Like history
is gonna look back
1402
01:22:14,497 --> 01:22:18,001
on what you did
and did not do
during this time.
1403
01:22:18,001 --> 01:22:21,037
And I think they're going
to judge you harshly
1404
01:22:21,070 --> 01:22:24,540
for how rapidly
you capitulated your values.
1405
01:22:30,113 --> 01:22:31,280
[activist chanting]
1406
01:22:31,314 --> 01:22:33,482
Matthew's story
is really important
1407
01:22:33,516 --> 01:22:36,152
because it was
one of the reasons why
1408
01:22:36,185 --> 01:22:40,523
we were able to move forward
in the past 25 years.
1409
01:22:40,556 --> 01:22:44,027
[Marcus] But the need
in this moment
when it's hard
1410
01:22:44,027 --> 01:22:47,130
to get motivated to fight
all over again,
1411
01:22:47,163 --> 01:22:49,498
to remember
who this young man was,
1412
01:22:49,532 --> 01:22:52,801
who was so brutally murdered
because he was gay.
1413
01:22:52,835 --> 01:22:54,570
-[man] Move!
-You're a bigot
and you're a coward!
1414
01:22:56,339 --> 01:22:58,207
And that is
why Matthew's story
1415
01:22:58,241 --> 01:22:59,842
continues to be told.
1416
01:23:02,178 --> 01:23:06,282
And we do have to keep
sharing Matthew's story.
1417
01:23:06,315 --> 01:23:08,617
We have to teach gay history.
1418
01:23:10,053 --> 01:23:11,954
It's very important
1419
01:23:12,055 --> 01:23:14,157
that we continue
to focus on young people.
1420
01:23:14,190 --> 01:23:16,492
Young people are the future.
1421
01:23:16,525 --> 01:23:20,763
We have a lot of brave
teens like Zander
doing the things he does,
1422
01:23:20,796 --> 01:23:22,531
and it's encouraging.
1423
01:23:22,565 --> 01:23:23,832
[Moricz] What happened
to Matthew Shepard
1424
01:23:23,866 --> 01:23:26,502
is undeniably wicked
1425
01:23:26,535 --> 01:23:28,704
and disgusting
and full of hate
1426
01:23:28,737 --> 01:23:30,706
that's happening again
every single day.
1427
01:23:31,740 --> 01:23:33,809
But there's nothing
stopping us
1428
01:23:33,842 --> 01:23:36,079
from revolutionizing
our society
1429
01:23:36,079 --> 01:23:38,181
in a generation.
We absolutely could.
1430
01:23:38,214 --> 01:23:39,982
We just have to
start right now.
1431
01:23:40,083 --> 01:23:41,550
[activists] Now!
1432
01:23:41,584 --> 01:23:44,487
[suspenseful music playing]
1433
01:23:44,520 --> 01:23:47,090
[activist chant continues]
111790
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