All language subtitles for The.Matthew.Shepard.Story.An.American.Hate.Crime.2023.1080p.WEB.h264-EDITH_eng_sdh-es-en

[wind blowing]

[somber music playing]

[A student of the
from wyoming

was riding
your mountain bike

and falls,

look up,

see what you believe
it's a scarecrow

or a joke,
just for halloween

around the corner,
which, of course,

This was at the beginning of October,

and comes to investigate,

and of course he was horrified
for what he found.

[Rosie O'Donnell] I still can
see its description,

the biker who found him

and thought it was
a scarecrow...

of the deer,

What was he doing to you?
company all night,

and when it was found,

The deer got up and fled.

There is only one...

a feeling
of divinity around him.

There is a feeling
of an angelic presence.

[This is a child...
who was loved and adored,

and in every way,
more or less, the boy next door.

This is a sign of rage,
something very personal,

something very scary
about that.

How cold it must have been
tied to that fence

and was not found for 18 hours,

and stay alive.

[distant siren hooting]

[Beck] Then they took him
to Ivinson Memorial Hospital,

What is the local hospital?
Local Laramie

to try to see
what they could do.

[It was a mystery
for the officers,

Okay, “Who is this person?

"Who is Matthew Shepard?"

[somber music playing]

"Hello, mom,
I am writing to greet you.

How is everything going?

I've been fine,
a little nostalgic.

You have problems
in the rhythm of things,

but it won't last long,
wait.

I have been very depressed
and I think it's a disappointment.

I came back and time
It was horrible,

and I miss my home.

I miss you.

Love, Matt."

[Eric Marcus]
Matthew Wayne Shepard was born
was born on December 1, 1976.

And although
He was a little guy,

He had a great personality.

Matthew was
a very emotional child,
very empathetic.

[Judy speaks]

[man chuckling]

My name is Jim Osborn,

and he was a friend
by Matthew Shepard.

The first thing
What I noticed about Matt

It's his smile.

He just had this amazing
radiant smile.

My name is Romaine Patterson,

and I was a friend
with Matthew Shepard.

I loved his laugh.

I liked his smile better.

He had a big smile.

He smiled.

[Adam Lambert]
He was young.

It seemed
a sweet and innocent boy.

He seemed like a good boy.

[It wasn't
just his mouth.

His eyes lit up

and twinkle or shine before you,

and it was as if
if his whole body smiled at you.

Wyoming is like
a sleepy little town.

the entire state
It is a small city of dreams.

We are the state
town of the Union.

We are a species of our own
little galaxy here.

We are geographically
huge.

We are the tenth state
of the country,

but we have
the smallest population.

In 1998, although
we are seeing
Will and Grace,

we are the most conservative state
conservative of America.

[Growing
in the 70s and 80s,

You couldn't be different.

It was a kind of place where,

if you were
a stereotypical cowboy,

working on an oil rig,
you would fit in

But it wasn't like growing up
in New York

or any of the major cities
of the country.

Unfortunately,
the word "faggot"

It was kind of go-to.

regardless
that had something to do with it

with your sexuality or not,
that was just a word

which was used to describe
like a loser

or you as different.

[I'm from Nebraska,

and I graduated
at the institute in 1987.

Although we were...

You know, Matthew and I lived
in very different cities

but it seemed
was a child
that very easily

I would have been a friend of,
I could have friends.

looked like someone
that many of us knew.

He seemed like your friend
at the institute

who was probably gay.

[Patterson] It can't be denied

that Matthew was gay
and he knew it.

Like, if you looked
to Mateo,

you saw a gay man.

There was no...

There wasn't even an ounce
straight there.

In 1993,
when matthew was finishing

his second year
high school,

his father got a job
in an oil company

in Saudi Arabia.

When Matthew's family started
to move to Saudi Arabia,

Matthew settled in a
in Switzerland.

[So,
in the second semester
of his last year,

he went with some friends
to Morocco.

Morocco at that time,
it wasn't maybe

the tourist destination
what is today

and it was not known
for being particularly safe.

[My understanding
of what happened in Morocco

was that in one
particular night,

Matthew wanted to go out
and see things.

He didn't think,
"Oh, I should go out

with a group of people
in a place that
"I don't know."

He simply decided,
"I'm going out.

I'm going to leave the hotel.

I'm going for a walk.
"I'm going to see the stores."

Things like that.
That's something
what he would have done.

And while I was away,
was kidnapped.

[In Morocco,
a couple of men took Matthew

to an isolated place
and they raped him.

Then,
the idea that a young gay

is raped
by a group of adult men,

people couldn't even understand
that kind of thing.

And so, Matthew returned
to the hotel,

you already know,
He immediately told the people.

[Their parents
were contacted,

the police were notified

but they never found
to the attackers.

It was a random attack.

They had no idea who had done it.

After the attack,
Matthew changed.

He wasn't himself.

I think what happened
is that he lost his sense

of security in the world.

[Liam Cudmore] Being assaulted
It is a traumatizing experience.

Traumas have
lasting impacts

in someone's development,

their social development,
their emotional development,

your spiritual development,

and the people
who suffered trauma

they run the risk
of having suicidal tendencies,

have poor mental health
such as depression and anxiety.

In 1995, Matthew graduated
at the institute,

returned to the United States,

and decided
coming out to his mother.

[I definitely think
that Matt felt comfortable

on your skin
and he felt comfortable being outside.

[Marcus] In the early 90s,

good things are happening
in the cultural world,

with more representation
with homosexuals.

How many lawyers did you go to?
before you call me?

Nine.

are you trying
get rid of it
because he's gay.

I had not reached
to accept my sexuality
until 1984, 95.

And then, yes,

Ellen DeGeneres is a thing.

I'm gay.

At the end of the 90s,
there was a great
kind of boom for gay people.

There was more representation
on television.

Ellen was out.

people fell in love
from Jack in Will and Grace,

an open character
openly gay.

a question
sexual orientation?

The doctor is inside.

I think middle America
It was getting more comfortable,

you know, with the idea
that there are gay people

out there and what are they
normal people.

And I think that gave Matthew
the feeling of security

that I was not alone
and that in fact he was safe.

[Marks] Matthew later
bounced

to different places.

Finally ended up back
in Casper, Wyoming,

his hometown.

[Patterson] I went
to my first year of university

at Casper College
in Casper, Wyoming.

I got to know one
from campus instructors.

He called me one day
and he told me,

"Today I received a strange call
from a therapist.

And he has a client,
and you would like
present to your client

to other young homosexuals.

"Can I send it to you?"

And I said,
"Okay. Sure. Why not?"

And it's this clumsy
young man named Matthew.

He's like, "I'm trying to
meet new people

here in Casper
who are also gay.

and he was super handsome,
but we take him under our protection

and we were like, "Listen,
Now you're one of us."

I think depression
It was a real problem for Matthew.

I think it was
a manic depressive

so sometimes it was super
super high

and things were amazing.

["February 23, 1998.

I put the Cherry Creek
to shame tonight.

I walked in my humble
cute

It was fun.

I really have won
a lot of comfort here."

[And then,
There were times when things

They were literally the opposite,

where I couldn't
have been lower for him.

[Rannells] "It's happened
long time since
I have written a diary,

but now I understand why.

"I'm so depressed."

[I think that
Matthew really
try to address

personal traumas
that he had suffered.

He treated them the best
that could,

where he didn't feel bad
with himself,

he didn't blame himself
for the things

that had happened in Morocco.

And I was always, you know,

trying to find
that happy balance.

[Rannells] "I'm going to call
home tonight and say hello
to my mom and dad.

I miss my family a lot.

They are very important to me.

I wish I could see them
more often."

That spring, Matthew
announced that he was going to

to move to Laramie, Wyoming,

and in May he took the step.

He enrolled
at the University of Wyoming,

which is where his parents
They had gone to school.

Mathew was quite happy
in Laramie.

Inside the red state,
this university town

It was a kind of liberal enclave,
So while he was there,

met like-minded people,

was connecting
with friends,

and it's also where he met
Jim Osborn.

I saw it almost
every day

against the Union,
and there it was,

usually watching people,

always with hair like that

and polished,

you already know,
always making sure

that anyone I talked to,
I was very focused on them

and was very present
in that conversation.

It always seemed
have a lot of confidence

and it was definitely
outgoing and pleasant.

I never doubted
"This boy is going to score
the difference."

[tense music playing]

[So, Tuesday night,

Matt came
to the LGBTA meeting.

we had been
putting final plans

about all acts
of Gay Awareness Week.

And then, as we did
most weeks after the meeting,

we all agree,
let's go out for,

you know, dinner
and something to drink afterwards.

And so we did it.

And after being there
a while at the Village Inn,

said,
"Okay. Well,
I'm not going home yet. "

And later we found out
that ended

next to the fire

[I can only imagine
that Matthew felt

perfectly safe walking
at the Fireside Lounge.

It's a place
where he had been before.

I knew the waiter.

I had no reason to
looking over your shoulder

and thinking that someone
I was going to hurt him.

[The Fireside
It wasn't a gay bar,

but without a doubt a bar
where gay people

I went from time to time

because we didn't have
a designated gay bar

in the State.

Most of us had a bar or two
those we could go out to

and feel relatively safe.

He had been to the Fireside.

It wasn't anything special.

Matt says
who saw Matthew Shepard

leaving the bar with two men.

Although he did not see
their faces when leaving,

trust
that those two men

They were the same ones who paid
with coins their jugs,

because he didn't see
to those guys out there after that.

[distant dog barking]

[object whistling]

[Brands] Little
after midnight

in a neighborhood
just north of the city,

a resident wakes up
and hears a whistle.

So it comes out
to investigate.

What you find is that
Your tire has been slashed.

[police radio
chattering indistinctly]

Call the police.
That's around 12:40 a.m.,

and lets them know that he believes
that someone has punctured his tire.

At that moment, the officer
It was about four blocks away.

from the house where the tires
were cracked,

see two guys behaving
a little strange

in this Ford truck
black.

And they're sitting there
and they don't move.

[It's good
after midnight,

there is not much
people out there.

is looking for people

that just clicked
someone's tire.

[Beck] And so he shines
a light on them,

He announces that he is the police.

He thought there might be
been the suspects

in tire failure.

[Russell Henderson
was someone

who came from a family

that had been
in Laramie a long time.

From what they say,
He was a pretty good boy.

until the end of adolescence.

He was an Eagle Scout.

was raised
for his grandmother.

His mother had some problems.

[Brands] While I was alive
with his grandmother,

I was dating a student
from wyoming

named Chastity Paisley.

[Beck] And there's blood
in it.

So the officer
he asks Henderson,

What happened to your left?

He tells the officer
quite a confusing story.

Russell says they were
assaulted by two men

who describes
like a white guy
and a hispanic guy,

and that they had been beaten
Pretty bad for them.

Russell said
than the other two types,

the white
and the Hispanic
They had fled.

So they ask him,
“Okay, who were you with?

Because we think
that you are involved in some
of this vandalism

that we have heard about
in the area."

It seems that Russell
he is telling the police officer

that was not involved
in the tire puncture.

He won't say anyone's names,
including type

to whom the officer
just seen flee.

Russell was hesitating
to tell the officer

Who owned the truck?

And finally he says, "Well,
I was with Aaron McKinney."

Aaron McKinney
was a young man

who had grown up in Laramie.

His parents were divorced.

Anderson met Aaron McKinney
at some point

and they were roofers
together.

Aaron McKinney
I was dating someone
named Kristen Price,

and the two had
had a baby together.

Aaron's mother had died
a few years before,

actually due to complications
of a hysterectomy.

And that's actually
led him to inherit
enough money

due to a policy
life,

and unfortunately,

used a lot of that money
on drugs

and bad behavior.

[In the early 90s,
crystal methamphetamine

came to wyoming
in a big way.

For someone like
Aaron McKinney

who considered himself
like a bad boy to begin with

and he had money in his pocket
to burn,

It's not that surprising
that it would end

becoming one
of the army of people

who became addicted to methamphetamine.

[Beck] So the officer
keep talking

to Russell Henderson
and he says,

Aaron McKinney broke down

with a stick or something
when they were attacked.

And Russell Henderson,

he has a cut on his lip

and there is blood in it.

Therefore, the official
also emits

the descriptions
of the men that Russell

told him, this white guy

and the hispanic guy
who allegedly assaulted them.

Right now everyone thinks
that those two men

could be responsible
just for vandalizing the tire,

but also for attacking
Russell and Aaron,

both of which
They were quite badly injured.

And so when they finished
your conversation,

Henderson goes
in an ambulance

to Ivinson Memorial Hospital.

The officer takes a look
to the truck...

and see many things
out of the truck
that seemed strange.

[Beck] There is a
really bloody weapon.

What is all this?
What has happened here?

and they are
absolutely baffled
for what happened here.

Initially, they think
it's just a fight

in a residential area,

but there is something else
and they know it.

So they're processing
out of the truck,

They are doing blood smears.

And of course, this gun
in the bed of the truck
is available to them,

so they take it away,

and it's covered
of blood.

[Trademarks] Under federal law,
there is an exception

to the rule that it is necessary
a search warrant,

which is called
the doctrine of clear sight.

If an agent sees
a possible test

in view of everyone,
they are allowed
take that evidence,

preserve that evidence,

in case there has been
a crime has been committed.

[Beck] And then,
look in the cabin

and see this pair of shoes
nice pair of shoes,

that seem out of place,

because they don't seem
of the type

that these guys would have.

[tense music playing]

[Beck] So what's interesting
is that you have

some people from
Laramie Police Department

listening
the radio call.

When the helper Fluty,
from Albany County

The sheriff's deputy calls
from the fence and said,

"We have the student card

with the name
by Matthew Shepard."

the ears of some
police detectives.

[Just at this time,

the police continue
looking for Aaron McKinney.

They go home...
He's not there.

Finally, Kristen Price,

who was Aaron McKinney's girlfriend
by Aaron McKinney,

called the police and said that Aaron
I was very beaten,

and now
He is in the hospital.

[Aaron was injured
pretty bad for the assault

the night before
between the white boy

and the Hispanic boy,

and had to be transferred
from the local hospital

to Poudre Valley so that
his head injury.

[The police were
guests by Kristen Price

to come interview him.

They talk to him briefly

a little and I asked him
about the incident.

So they started asking
McKinney on the truck

and said, "Oh, well,
that they robbed us

when we went out last night."

And he said he had been assaulted
by a couple of people

and they broke it
in the head.

[Marks] While the officers are
interviewing Aaron McKinney

in the hospital,
they received the news

that Matthew has been found
on the outskirts of the city

and is being carried
to the same hospital.

When the doctors there
see it,

they are doing what they can
to try to revive it.

The hospital contacted
with his parents,

that were still
in Saudi Arabia.

They started
the process of returning home

as fast as they could.

[Beck] They realized
immediately,

"We cannot take care
of him here."

So there is a hospital
in Fort Collins

called Poudre Valley Hospital

which deals with head injuries.

So they realized right away,

"We have to take it
to that hospital."

[siren hooting]

[tense music playing]

[The first time
I found out about
what had happened to Matt,

I received an email from
a common friend,

the same friend
that he had presented to us.

and let me know
that Matt had been attacked

and that was
in the hospital.

let me know
that your prognosis

It wasn't good.

[Patterson]
There was a shock,
there was fear.

There was a feeling of anguish
feeling you had

because you knew that
you couldn't do anything.

So
kind of waited out.

[The first hours
They were honestly pretty scary

For me and for most
the members of the group,

because we didn't know
who had done this.

For me, it was unmistakable

that this had to be
about hate.

[So, law enforcement
now start interviewing
persons of interest

about Matthew's attack.

The police bring in Russell,

Chastity Paisley,
who was Russell's girlfriend,

and Kristen at the station

and try
and do interviews with them.

Russell Henderson
He's not talking, so...

"Advocacy"
is the term they use,

will wait
to a lawyer.

Chastity Paisley
explains that,

"Oh, well, I really
"I don't know anything."

Kristen Price
I had a little one at the time.

and had no interest
to be arrested

or something happens to him
her.

And he told him,

"I think that
that I killed someone tonight."

He explained
that he and Russell Henderson

They were at the Fireside bar

where did they see someone
that he was gay

and it seemed
I had money.

Kristen tells him,

they came up with a plan
that they would pretend

who are gay
and they will try

and get him to go with them

and they will rob you.

And in the end,
decided to go with them

and they left
the Fireside bar.

[After Aaron
tell him what happened,

goes to the bathroom
to clean up.

She looks and sees it
washing a bloody purse.

Then Aaron took the wallet,
he put her in a dirty diaper

and threw it in the trash.

[Kristen says
Chastity and Russell

come and discussed
the events of the night,

They realized that it was better to get rid
of some of his tests,

better get rid
of his clothes.

[Beck] Clothes
they didn't get rid of

They were Russell's shoes,

that were very expensive

and I had just bought them,

and they hid them in
a shed somewhere else.

law enforcement
go to the place

and after
a little searching

find the shoes
They were covered in blood.

They are going to
McKinney House

where they find their clothes,

they are bloody
and then in the dirty diaper
find the wallet

what has
driving license

of Matthew Shepard in it.

At the end of the afternoon,

all three were arrested

in relation to what
It happened to Matthew Shepard.

At that time,
I was the news director

on Wyoming Public Radio.

I was also teaching
that semester

at the University of Wyoming.

I had a student
who was in my class

and called me
that morning

and he told me he wasn't going
I was going to be able to come
to class that day

because something bad
had happened to him
to a friend of his.

And I'm like,
"Are you kidding me?"

What has happened?

He goes, "Oh, you're going to
hear about this.

This is a really terrible thing.

It's going to be
news for you."

[reporter 1]
Matthew Shepard...

[reporter 2]
Matthew Shepard...

[reporter 3]
Matthew Shepard...

[reporter 4]
Matthew Shepard...

[You already know,
on public radio,

we don't have the scanner
like television networks

or the newspapers.

We don't do much of
those everyday crime things.

but I had someone
That morning he told me,

"Wow, the scanner
It was really going last night. "

Something was happening.

There is something
what happened
on the outskirts of the city.

so i called
to the sheriff's office

and they didn't say
nothing, but they said,

"We are going to have
a press conference at 3:00."

That afternoon,
we were there.

Of course,
there may have been

another radio station there,

and then I remember that some
local televisions

and some television channels
from Denver were there.

[During
the press conference,
Sheriff Gary Puls

commented for the first time
about Matthew's attack.

He also announced the charges
against Russell Henderson,

Kristen Price
and Chastity Paisley.

[Aaron McKinney
had not been charged until now,

but they told us
that we know where it is

and we will be
accusing him shortly.

The sheriff
made it very clear to us

what I thought
that this incident occurred

because Matthew Shepard
He was gay.

In 1998,
the wyoming legislature

They are mostly retired ranchers,

You know, old white men.

we didn't have
hate crime legislation.

Approve any
hate crimes

it would be like putting
a seal of approval

and saying "This is true,

This is who we are."

And it was just an obstacle
that they could not overcome.

[Beck] From that moment on,

never ever
I have never heard a member
of law enforcement

Call it a hate crime.

This was a local crime.

It didn't seem to me
that this was something

the national news
they would be interested.

[dramatic music playing]

[Aaron McKinney
had also been transferred

to Poudre Valley Hospital
in colorado

as well as Matthew Shepard.

The police waited
was released,

and as soon as
as soon as he was released,

agreed to be extradited
back to Wyoming.

[tense music playing]

[Well,
basically said,

"Yes, it happened and...

But this is what happened."

They are going around
and then like that
to go to the Fireside.

And they are really
short of cash.

And they're using quarters,

five and dime coins
to buy a mug of beer,

when you see this
another person approach them.

[Beck] And they plot
this plan where they are gay

and they will try
and they will get
to go with them.

[Brands] They leave the bar
and they get on the truck,

what is
Aaron's father's truck.

Matthew is high
between them in the seat,

interspersed
among them, really,
and Russell's driving.

[Beck] He was holding a gun
then,

because they were,
you know, telling him
that was going to be stolen,

and then aaron
He took his wallet.

[Aaron has his gun.

It just doesn't make sense
that Matthew

would feel emboldened
to insinuate

Aaron McKinney started
to hit him with a weapon.

It hit him in the face.

He just hit him.

He explained
that Russell took them
to the site,

and then Russell tied him up.

And then Aaron
He started hitting him...

And he hit him and hit him.

[I'm sure
I was terrified.

I imagine you would be
confused too

how could a scenario
just leaving the bar

with someone climb
so quick to this.

[Beck] It really happened
of a situation

where it sounded
what they intended
to do was rob the young man,

and just like that,
became something
really catastrophic.

Aaron basically
was unleashed on Matthew.

He beat him brutally
and repeatedly.

Aaron admitted that he simply
like he went into anger.

started
to hit him and hit him
and to hit him.

And then Aaron picked up
his shoes.

[Marks] Aaron tells him
to the police after finishing

hitting Matthew,
assumed Matthew was dead.

He and Russell jumped again
to the truck,

drove back to town,

potentially to get rid
of the weapon,

and they fought.

There is something
of ironic parallelism

in the fact that Aaron

it had just ended brutally
hit someone

and came to the city

and then his head opened
open.

What in that interview
that appears

is that it was actually
a little indifferent.

[man speaking]

[And then
the interview was done,

was charged with attempted
first degree murder,

kidnapping,
and aggravated robbery.

[tense music playing]

a student
college student beaten
and abandoned to his fate

clings to life in wyoming
this morning.

[I know that practically
no one in laramie

or in the state of Wyoming
they had no idea

the media storm that was
about to fall on them,

or what sense would it have
would touch on the story of Matthew

then
moment in history.

[speaker 1]
Matthew Shepard.

[speaker 2]
Matthew Shepard.

[speaker 3]
Matthew Shepard.

[speaker 4]
Matthew Shepard.

[In the hours
after Matthew was found,

people learned
the name of Matthew Shepard.

became
national.

[It was a horrifying
discovery on this fence,

a gay man barely
alive tonight

in a coma, with brain damage.

[It was everywhere.

It appeared in all the newspapers.
It was on the news.

Everyone is like
looking and listening

and hoping he lived.

Not in my wildest dreams
I would wait

that the New York Times
and Newsweek,

and CBS, ABC, NBC,

CNN, all those people
they would be appearing

in my community
in about 24 hours.

I had never seen it.

[A couple of things
were happening

in the hours
after Matthew was found.

There were many people
who wanted the story
Known Matthew story,

because these murders
had been happening
for a long time.

Matthew's Friends
and activists
they were reaching out

to an existing infrastructure
of gay rights,

national organizations

which could then be amplified
what happened.

[The National Organization of
and Lesbians

descended to Laramie,
in particular,

GLAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance
Anti-Defamation Alliance.

Like, they're literally
a media watchdog group.

This is what they do.
Everything they do at that moment

was watching the media
and contact different
members of the media

about the stories
and the reports
what are they doing.

The only way to change
was going to happen
was also to use the media

to expand the story
of what happened to Matthew.

People are not stupid.
They are sophisticated
about the media.

[People were calling
to the Campus Activities Center

and leaving me messages,

Good Morning America
and Dateline.

Hate and violence
they must cease.

It was a challenge
and only challenge

that suddenly they ask you
be the spokesperson

for all the gays in wyoming

is what I felt
then.

My name is Nate Mickelson.

I grew up
in Kemmerer, Wyoming.

It was quite small,

maybe 3,000 people.

You know, I thought
I was the only gay person,

but I was part
of that community

and people cared about me
whatever happened.

I was in university.
And when I found out
what happened to Matt,

It really hit me.

You know, I wasn't a type of
Wyoming that I remembered.

You know, he let me know
I wasn't so sure
as I thought I had been.

And I wasn't so sure

growing as I thought
that had been

Welcome my friend,
Ellen DeGeneres.

[O'Donnell] I was in
my television show.

It was a time
turbulent

in my life and in my world.

Memory
the situation of James Byrd,

the same horror and hypocrisy

and evil and systemic racism

that allows a black man
be lynched

and feeling that something
must be done,

without knowing what to do.

and just
on the heels of that,

Matthew Shepard
and feeling that same horror.

The first time I heard about
About Matthew Shepard

In my bedroom in New York,

and there was no
a ton of details.

Although this happened
thousands of kilometers
from where we were,

I think we all recognized

pieces of ourselves
in this story.

In '98, I was
in San Diego, California.

I was in high school.

You already know,
It was still in the closet.

And, you know,
hear about this horrible,

brutal crime was terrifying.

It scared me

to take a step towards exiting the closet.

It scared me more

to embrace who he was

because it reminded me
how much I hate
there is out there.

I spent a lot of time
trying to convince

my mother in Nebraska

that everything will continue
it's going to be fine

and you could be safe

and I would be safe
when in reality,

I knew that...

that not always
always be like this.

It was terrifying. Was...

It was a terrifying
realization.

[While all this
is happening,

Matthew follows
in the hospital.

Your parents are there
and they just wait

that will survive.

We all saw what
was happening with Matthew

in the hospital and those days

while trying to survive

and we knew
the probability of that.

And yet everyone
I expected, right?

[suspense music plays]

[Beck] You know, people were
community criticism.

Well, you know,
the wild west,

you are probably taking
gay street people

left and right
and hitting them,

or this kind of thing probably
happens in Laramie
all the time.

[There was
a real generalization

about where Matthew was from

and that maybe
It wasn't surprising.

than a gay boy
had this...

horrible crime happen to him

in a rural area like that.

May everyone in Wyoming
They were anti-LGBTQ,

that we were all a handful

of uneducated hillbillies who went
out there participating

in gay bashing
or words to that effect.

[Sara Burlingame]
I think Wyoming
will always fight

with perception
perception they have of us,

how it was taught
in our schools.

It was preached
from our pulpits,

but it is not exclusive
of Wyoming.

People love to tell you

"It would never happen
in this big blue state
where I live."

And they're full of [bleep].

[dramatic music playing]

It was homecoming weekend.
for the University of Wyoming.

And so normally,
That's festive, right?

[Beck] And they carried
yellow bracelets, you know,

saying that hate
It is not a Laramie value.

And it was comforting
see that.

[Osborn]
And that could be seen
the same message

on the front marquee
of family hotels

and Arby's.
national

They were putting up posters
like that, too.

I can't begin to describe

the difference that made

as a queer person
in this city,

knowing that really
there were more people

that covered our backs

and he had Matt's back.

The people supported him.

There were people who were
praying that he would live.

It became this,
"Can this underdog do it?"

[suspense music plays]

-Ready?
-Yeah.

At 12 at night

on October 12, 1998,

The blood pressure of
blood pressure began to drop.

His condition continued
deteriorating.

And at 12:53 a.m.
this morning,

Matthew Shepard died.

Matthew's mother told me,

"Please tell everyone
who is listening to go home.

Hug your children.

And don't let a day go by

without telling them
that you love them."

Although it was something
that for me,

I had kind of knew
what was going to happen,

it still was...

that disappointment, that...

That air that escapes
from your lungs

that you can't control.

That...

That last vain hope

that's good, wow,
maybe he'll wake up he was gone.

[somber music playing]

[I broke down.

I literally broke down.

Suddenly,
all that pain

and anger and sadness
they rushed

and it completely overwhelmed me.

I was very devastated

for the death of Matthew

and I didn't know very well
to do.

my soul ate
of human capacity

be cruel to another.

[Lambert] Hear about
his death and process it

It was even scarier.
because there was no one

to relate to about it.

I had no one
with whom to talk about it.

I just found out
and I thought...

[exhales]

"This is the world
which I'm about to enter

as an adult."
And that scared me.

My boyfriend has two children

and his daughter asked me
What was I going to do today?

And I explained to him that I was going
to make this documentary.

And he asked me what
it was about and I told him,

"Well, it's about a boy named
Matthew Shepard who died."

And she said,
"Why did he die?"

And I said,
"Well, because he was gay."

And that was all I could think of.
say about it

to a 10 year old boy.

[dramatic music playing]

[Marcus] After Matthew's death
was announced,

there was such an outpouring

throughout the country
with candlelight vigils

in big cities
and small towns.

I was surprised
by the outpouring of emotion.

[Lambert] Broke
everyone's heart.

And I think finally people
They were starting to feel that,

that it doesn't matter who you are
It doesn't matter
how you identify yourself,

no matter who you love,

nobody deserves
be treated like this.

[sirens hooting]

[Matt's death
It was a meeting point.

The people were angry,

viscerally angry
for what was happening.

Let's commit
to transform anger

of this march
towards sustained action.

[demonstrator]
Let's move tonight.

Let's move
the country tonight.

[Yeah.

I'm so... pissed off.

[crowd clamoring]

I can't stop crying.

Here is an example.
This young boy
minding your business

is killed by no other
reason he was gay.

It was so sensational.
The story was so strong.

And it was so clear
what had happened

that you couldn't deny it
further.

[Barney Frank]
The determination we have

will not decrease.

[Dick Gephardt]
We still have a long way to go

in our nation to ensure

that hate and intolerance

are banished
of our country.

[It was amazing.

The only time I can remember
before

where was that guy
outpouring of emotion
and the rage

It was when Harvey Milk
He was murdered in 1978.

We must do more

to confront violent intolerance.

Even though Matthew had died

of an anti-gay hate crime,

most of us were pretty naive

about what anti-gay hate
it seemed.

-He is the one who said
that he was queer. I didn't say it.
-Yeah.

[Patterson] When we found out
that this guy,

Fred Phelps
of the Church
Westboro

I was going to come to the funeral,

We found it very strange.

Like, why would anyone come
to protest at a funeral?

I had never heard of
from Fred Phelps before.

Fred Phelps
coined the slogan,

"God hates faggots"
and was known

for some really vulgar
and horrible anti-gay rhetoric.

[indistinct chatter]

[It was like
how much more horrible

could a group
of people?

This seems to be the right time

To address this family,

ruining this event
that should have been

a very gloomy day,
a very respectful day.

It's really shocking.

Have you ever been
to a parade of faggots?

[Fred] We don't force
to a faggot...

[He and his family
They are holding these signs

like "Matt in hell"

and "AIDS kills queers"

and how horrible,
Hateful shit, right?

You will go to hell.

you will go to hell
as Matthew Shepard

for the hell he made
before dying.

[Romaine and I
we knew we had to
respond to that.

We knew it was likely
that Phelps

and his group
They would return at some point.

We thought it was
important to us

send a message

that we do not agree with that.

That kind of thing
They are not welcome here.

we knew
that we had to block them.

we wanted
block Fred Phelps
and all its horrible signs

so that Judy and Dennis
never had

to look at their ugly faces.

I had a plan.

[suspense music plays]

[Patterson] In the
intermediate period

between the service
by Matthew

and then what was supposed
be an audience,

really, by Russell Henderson,

the world was crazy.

Those of us who were actively

still doing interviews,

talk later
with Matthew's parents

and asked what
they wanted us to say

because that was important.
You know, we wanted
to make sure that

that we were doing well,
not just for Matthew,
but for Judy and Dennis.

We never stopped.
It never stopped.

There definitely was,
You know, meaningful work.

with law enforcement

and the court case, you know,
the county attorney's office.

[Many motions
clarified at that time

that this was going to be
to be a death penalty case.

They had to separate
both cases,

so they weren't going to be
judged together.

[dramatic music playing]

[About a week before
from the trial of Russell Henderson,

Jim Osborn calls me
and tells me,

"Fred Phelps is coming
to Laramie for the trials."

And I said, "Cool."

The question
and deliver the country

to these sodomite militants.

[Patterson] All Exterior
of the courthouse

was surrounded
from media people.

there had to be
about ten or fifteen

satellite trucks,
hundreds of reporters.

It was crazy.

And everyone is focused
at Fred Phelps

and its horrible
anti-gay garbage.

In any nation that agrees
that it's okay to be gay

will follow the path
of ancient Sodom.

And then suddenly
this band of angels

comes walking down the street
and they're like,

"What the hell is this?"

And like the separation
of the Red Sea,

everyone makes their way.

-[people chatting
indistinctly]
-Yeah.

[Patterson] And we
We surround Fred Phelps,

we turn our backs
and now we are angels.

[We didn't want to let
that kind of hate

and intolerance enter
in our community.

[Patterson]
And it worked very well.

Fred Phelps can no longer
talk to people.

can no longer
yell at people.

so they started
to sing hymns.

And now there are angels
with floating wings,

listening, you know,
beautiful hymns

and it was serene
and surreal and just wild.

[Russell Henderson's public defender
Russell Henderson
Wyatt Skaggs

had a number
death penalty cases

and I really didn't want to
that nothing went to trial.

And he saw the evidence.
I knew what they had.

He really worked tirelessly
since this case started

with a goal in mind.

and that was
to save Russell's life.

Judge Donnell just said
that this was a horrible murder.

When examined
all the facts of the case,

there is simply no way
should be in public.

And he gave him, you know,
consecutive sentences.

And that's how it is for life.

Chasity Pasley,
who was Russell's girlfriend,

was sentenced to about
year and a half in prison.

Aaron McKinney's girlfriend
Kristen Price

never ended
serving no sentence,

apart from his initial arrest
arrest time he had

and kept going
with his life.

With those three
out of the way,
It became the trial.

Aaron McKinney, faced
to the death penalty.

And that was the main event

that everyone
I had been waiting.

There were a couple of things
still in play

that this was just
a robbery gone wrong

and this had nothing to do
with hate crimes.

But this was a hate crime,
without any doubt.

But one of the things
what the defense did

is that they used
gay panic defense

that nothing of
this would have happened

Yes Matthew Shepard
It didn't reach his groin.

and touch it there,
and that made him explode.

The defense of gay panic
it means

that someone is gay
or queer or trans identity

It's reason enough to hurt them,

that is something violent
and threatening

and it is legally admissible

to take violent action
towards them.

[It was not
the first time.

There have been several
occasions in the past

and about 30% of cases
in which this defense was used,

people got a reduced sentence.

[suspense music plays]

[And one of the things
which the defense also did

is that they used the fact
that Aaron McKinney

was a victim
of sexual abuse as a child.

They need to explain
which has some

very raw emotions about this,

and if someone is doing
a movement on him,

what will trigger
some things

and lead to this beating,
lead to this attack.

[Marcus] There was a lot
people who believed

that Matthew Shepard
as a gay man

He received what he deserved.

I really believe
that the people of McKinney

thought that would work,

and I was preparing for it.

[suspense music plays]

As soon as the gay panic
the defense arose,

the prosecutor objected.

well i think
what is a defense

that's atrocious
which should not be used

in any situation,

in any court
in these United States.

It gives people the excuse

hurt or kill
to another person.

[news reporter]
The sentence is a relief

to those who support
to Shepard's family

and those who support
gay themes.

Even if Matthew went too far
to Aaron McKinney,

all he had to say was,
"No, thanks,"

what is it that women have
what to say over and over again

because men do
unwanted passes.

He didn't have to
to beat him to death

with the butt of a gun.

It's a pathetic defense.

[Burlingame]
The defense of gay panic

It's the perfect joint.

how deeply
we blame the victims

of homophobic crimes
and transphobia.

[The jury found
Aaron McKinney guilty

two counts of murder

in addition to aggravated robbery
and kidnapping.

The verdicts came
after only 10 hours
of deliberation.

And then we were
preparing for what
we expected it to be

a very good one
discussion about the death penalty.

And then, out of nowhere,
it was announced that

that's not
what was going to happen.

[news reporter]
After being approached
by defense lawyers,

the Shepards recommended that
McKinney was given life

instead of death in memory
of his son.

In an emotional speech
to the court,

Dennis Shepard told McKinney,

"You stole from me
something very valuable.

Mr. McKinney, I give you my life

in memory
of someone who no longer lives.

May you have a long life

and thank Mateo
every day for it."

I was so moved by his words.
and his compassion

and your ability to forgive.

And I thought, this is it
the dawn of something new.

[Frame]
After Matthew's death,
there was so much organization

and so much forward momentum

and so many public demands
of legislation

for hate crimes.

Quickly, the President
made this cause his own.

And I think that in part
that's because the country

was willing to have
the conversation.

Hate crime laws
they had proposed

in Congress on multiple occasions
and failed on multiple occasions.

This was not something
that had never been
discussed before.

The Hate Crimes Prevention Law
it would be important

substantively and symbolically

to send a message to ourselves
and to the world

let's go
to the 21st century

determined to preach
and to practice what is right.

I wasn't surprised either
that in the end

that the legislation died
in commission

because they weren't that fast

to pick up the ball
and run with it.

[Patterson] I think the
Matthew Shepard Foundation

it's one of the things
important

to go out
of Matthew's death.

There is no excuse
for what happened to Matthew

and it is necessary
what to do to stop

this hatred that seems
permeate society.

Which ultimately becomes
this incredible mission

to erase hate
through legislation.

[Let's move on
and start.

[news reporter]
On this dirt road,

Byrd was murdered
early Sunday morning.

The murderers left
a trail of blood

and the trail of evidence
as they were driving down this road.

[The combination
of horrible racism

of the death of James Byrd
and homophobia

in Matthew's,
I think they are united forever.

They are united forever
emotionally and morally.

They are evils of...
From the same pile,

you know, and they are
united like all of us,

you know, move forward
for equality in this country.

This is a topic
that we couldn't let go.

I have a window
of opportunity here

what do I want
leverage.

[Suddenly,

this tremendous responsibility
fell on her.

He doesn't like crowds,

he doesn't like to be
in front of people,

and yet, despite all that,

kept doing it
day after day.

[Patterson] When I think about

how he responded to it,

if you don't have respect
for that woman,

you don't even know
the meaning of the work.

Today's audience
it is very important

and focuses on the serious
problem of hate crimes.

Think about the incidence
of recent violent crimes

who are motivated
for hate and intolerance

and how they have cauterized
the conscience
of this country.

And then people said,
"Let's talk about this.

Let's talk about it right now,
because if we don't,

this will continue
and we can't
allow it."

It took society, I think,
a time to understand

what it is to protect
to minorities in this country

who do not usually have a voice
social or political,

and they are demonized
and treated as inferiors.

The fact that
this legislation exists

highlights these crimes

like something
something more than a murder.

These commit
specifically

because the individual
who commits the crime

hate that person

for what they are,
fundamentally.

we only asked
that they would not murder us.

It is the most modest
of the requests.

Hate crimes have no place
in America.

[hammer hitting]

In 2007, a version
by Matthew Shepard

Hate Crimes Law
reintroduced in the Senate.

It was approved in the chamber...

In this bill,
the yeses are 237.

The nos are 180.

The law is approved.

[people cheering]

It was attached to the Law of
of Defense.

President Bush
he said he would veto

the law of
Defense Authorization Act,

Yes, this Hate Crimes Law
was united to her.

So it was finally removed

of the Law of
Authorization Law

and died on the ground.

[If you trace
the trajectory

of hate crimes
that are being introduced,

there is something
really instructive

about what
our movement, right?

How to advocate for full

dignity and health
of LGBTQ people,

what we learned
in the process,

once we came together
around like love

it is a message of love
that helped us progress.

And it haunts me to this day,

think how many times

has bared his soul
and your pain

for the benefit of others.

how many hearts
has changed.

how many minds
has expanded.

Thank you very much and welcome
to the White House.

You know, as a nation,
we have come far

on the way to
a more perfect union,

and today we have given
another step forward.

This afternoon
I have signed the law

Matthew Shepard
and James Byrd Jr.

-Hate Crimes Prevention Law.
-[applause]

[11 years passed
since Matthew's murder

to be signed
of hate,

which seemed fast to me
for legislation

cover something that is
so potentially controversial

how to protect gays
and others

of hate crimes.

[everyone applauding]

[Marcus] I was surprised

and...

And moved to tears
then and again now.

There is something that

so important to know

that your government,
my government cares about me.

[What started
to create awareness

for equal rights legislation.

And something started.

The country began
to take this seriously

and trying to protect us
as members of the country.

[Marcus] What happened
to Matthew Shepard

It was a key turning point.

The legislation that
approved

for his murder
it is very important

for our community.

I think many of us think
that it was over,

that we didn't have
to fight more,

that we were accepted.

we were so wrong
on so many levels.

The following years
the signing of the legislation
hate crimes

it seemed
an almost golden age.

We were starting to feel like
we are really going to live

in a country that welcomes us.

We were in a great place.

There wasn't really
a concern

when we wake up
in the morning about,
you already know,

having to put on extra armor
or the shield, right?

We felt freer.

[It was created
this feeling of impulse

and this feeling of how,
we finally realized

as a country how to like,

make people feel included

and like
celebrate the difference.

[people cheering]

This morning, I'm proud

to sign a law
that will end

to Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

[cheers and applause]

And in 2015
when the Supreme Court

spoke out on marriage equality,

and then same-sex marriage

It was legal throughout the country.

[The ban
of gay adoption was,
you know, abandoned.

And so, suddenly,
our entire family structure,

that had been illegal
in this country

and in this state,
It was already a thing of the past.

So we got legally married
in the state of Florida.

Now we can legally
adopt children

in the state of Florida.

This wonderful radiance of being,
You know, new parents.

-I loved every minute.
-Yeah. Was...

It was incredible.

It was incredible.

It was a step
in the right direction.

It was a step towards acceptance.

And I let my guard down
thinking that

things just
They are going to improve.

and I have lived
enough to see

multiple... waves

of progress and regression.

I should have seen it coming,
and I didn't do it.

[cheers]

[Election night,

on election night 2016,

I'm devastated
because I don't know

what this means to my family.

I remember people
who supported

of the then president,

"Oh, they're not...
"Nothing is going to change."

-Mmm-hmm.
-They are not going to...

They are not going to touch

any LGBTQ rights.

And I: "You're naive."

I, Donald John Trump,
I solemnly swear.

I knew this was potentially
a very dark time ahead.

The furies had been unleashed.

[Trump! Trump! Trump!

[Marcus] With a counterattack

that I couldn't
have imagined.

They are worthy of death.

These people must be
sentenced to death.

[Cudmore] 2016 started with
the bathroom law

which was North Carolina
legislation

to prevent trans students
use the bathroom

that fit
with their gender identity.

My name is Erin Reed.
I use the pronouns she/him.

I am a researcher
queer

and activist,
and content creator.

Those of us who are active
in the LGBTQ community

and on LGBTQ rights

I was very afraid that
our rights were curtailed.

And those fears
they came true
relatively fast.

The goal
of our school system

is to educate children,
not indoctrinate our children.

[Correct!

My name is Zander Moricz.

I knew about Matthew Shepard,

but i don't know
If that narrative is so widespread

recognized as me
how I would like

because these stories
are essential

to share and reflect.

I grew up
in Sarasota, Florida,

what is a community
polarized,

and found refuge
in my school community.

I went out to
a civics teacher
at Pine View,

what was it then
my physical education teacher actually.

It was a safe space.
It was exactly

what a school should be.

It is a place to learn

and discover not only things
on topics but yourself.

That environment

that is so accepting,
that is so affirmative,

it's a threat
for politicians

and they need a solution
for that.

And the solution is,
"Okay, everything is happening

in these safe spaces.
"We will take them away."

And the Don't Say Gay law
was an example of this.

No sexual instruction

from preschool to third.

And how many parents

they want their daycare children
have transsexuality

or something injected
in teaching?

When it was presented
as a bill,

Our children were in first grade.

The bill is supposed to
affect kindergarten children
up to third grade.

So this was bring home
directly to us.

The Don't Say Gay Bill
It's already law.

Governor Ron DeSantis Monday
signed the measure

prohibit certain instruction
about sexual orientation

and gender identity
in the classroom.

One of the things that does
this legislation

so horrible is the shape
in which it is applied.

The application mechanism
is that any father

-they can sue a school district.
-[activists singing]

[The opposition
the bill became stronger
in the last few days.

[Lambert] For a public school teacher
in Florida

get into trouble
to maybe have a photo

of your spouse at your desk.

we can't even
a risk. Imagine what
would be the consequences.

What is happening?
We're kind of going
completely backwards.

Although Ron DeSantis
said that it was intended

to protect only the
children of,

you know, being indoctrinated
in homosexuality,

the law has been expanded
to apply it to children

in grades K through 12.

-The amount of silence...
-Mmm-hmm.

...it was deafening.

we continue watching
hate attacks

like the attack on Matthew
and what that means for us

It's not that there isn't
no progress,

but that hate
still exists.

And that's like
the enemy of equality.

In Texas, the governor
I had a directive

to prevent trans youth

access to medical care
transgender.

[The governor's directive
directive was to investigate

some parents from texas
of transsexual children

for possible abuse of minors,

specifically parents
that provided gender

affirmative care
that stops puberty.

[Burlingame]
Those bills do harm.

They create harassment
to young transsexuals.

Young transsexuals deserve
be protected and safe.

can't be heard
nothing like that
Governor Abbott, right?

As if you heard the opposite.

You hear this dehumanization

of Governor Abbott's children.

And somehow from 2016 to now

that has been normalized.

All this is going to do

is forcing many of us
to hide again.

What can they do?
They can hide.

That is
all that remains.

Or they can fight.

and none
of those options feels good,

but that's what remains.

I mean, hide or fight,
You know?

The death of Matthew Shepard
It was horrible,

but it is also this violence
It is usual.

We are very grateful
that you are here with us

while we cover a shooting
shooting with victims

in downtown Orlando.

[Cudmore] Physical violence
like the massacre

at the Pulse nightclub
in Florida,

or the mass shooting at Club Q
in Colorado Springs,

that teaches our queer youth

and queer people in general
they are terrified,

that based
your identity
They can be slaughtered.

[Marcus] The sad reality
is that people
will always hate.

And no matter what we do,

we keep coming back
to the same horrible places.

But we can't not fight.

We have to keep fighting.

and that means
be visible when you can

to your family,
to your friends,
to your community.

[The people
that are part of that,

you know, the mobile center,
Who are your neighbors?

they just need to hear
a different message,

invite them in,
have that conversation.

On the other hand,
like the conservatives,

you are going to have
find your moral courage.

As if the story
will look back

about what you did
and you didn't do
during this time.

And I think they are going to
judge you harshly

because of how fast
You capitulated your values.

[activist singing]

Matthew's story
it's really important

because it was
one of the reasons why

we have been able to move forward
in the last 25 years.

[Marco] But the need
at the moment
when it's hard

to motivate yourself to fight
again,

remember
Who was this young man?

who was brutally murdered
because he was gay.

-Move!
-You are an intolerant
and you a coward!

And that's why
why the story of matthew

continues to count.

And we have to continue
sharing Matthew's story.

We have to teach gay history.

It is very important

let us continue
focusing on young people.

Young people are the future.

We have a lot of brave people
teenagers like Zander
doing the things he does,

and it's encouraging.

[Moricz] What happened
to Matthew Shepard

It's undeniably evil.

and disgusting
and full of hate

that repeats
every day.

But there is nothing
let it stop us

to revolutionize
our society

in a generation.
We could do it.

We just have to
start right now.

[Now!

[suspense music plays]

[activist chant continues]