12 years ago today

7 Oct

12 years ago today, Aaron Kreifels was riding his bike through a field in Wyoming. He wasn’t expecting that day to be any different from any other beautiful sunny afternoon in the vast plains surrounding Laramie, but that day would change many lives.

Aaron spotted what he initially thought was a scarecrow next to a fence, when he noticed a glisten of blood. The sun sparked on what he barely recognized as a face. It was then he discovered the 22 year-old Matthew Shepard, clinging to life.

Most of you know what happened next, Matthew held on for five more days while vigils were held and as his parents held his hand and prayed. Matthew slipped away quietly on October 12th, leaving in his wake a new movement for equality.

Since then, Matthew’s mother Judy has made it her personal mission to protect all young LGBT people from Matthew’s horrific fate. In founding the Matthew Shepard Foundation, she has created safe spaces in and outside of schools for kids, and worked with parents to ensure their children learn to erase hate from their lives.

But overwhelmingly what you saw in 1998 was a community ready to act, ready to change something. And Matthew’s story was the catalyst for that. Many of you have seen or read the Moises Kaufman play, The Laramie Project – Matthew’s story as told through interviews of those who were living in Laramie at the time – some of his friends and some who just happened to be riding a bike through the plains of Wyoming that day. If we think of nothing else today, please consider the importance of telling your story – how your story can change the world around you.

This young boy, unbeknownst to him, has changed the world with his story.

3 Responses to “12 years ago today”

  1. Conner October 8, 2010 at 5:48 am #

    I read the Story it really Impressed me how does every Pessimism influences our Lives So badly that we forget our Human beings … My heart goes out for mathew and i can feel what kind of Disloyalty has been done on his Part … Hope that never happens to our Youngs , Children or kidz … lets ACT AGAINST

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  1. Top Posts — WordPress.com - October 9, 2010

    […] 12 years ago today 12 years ago today, Aaron Kreifels was riding his bike through a field in Wyoming. He wasn’t expecting that day […] […]

  2. Honor Matthew Shepard by making it better | People For the American Way Blog - October 21, 2010

    […] was reminded of the late Senator Kennedy’s famous quote as I happened upon this blog post this afternoon. Twelve years ago today, Aaron Kreifels found Matthew Shepard clinging to life in a […]

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