15 years since Matthew Shepard was murdered

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 15 years since I left the University of Wyoming for points east – and ultimately Germany.

Two months after moving to Bloomington, Laramie was in the news.

From the luxury of my home in Berlin, I can still think back to how I felt those 1998 October days – that incredible feeling of shock, feeling like I’d been run over by a truck, and crawling into my closet where I shed a large number of tears.

I’ll be spending my evening re-reading a new book – October Mourning – a collection of poems about Matthew Shepard written by Lesléa Newman. I’ll also reflect on Jason Collins, the first professional athlete to come out whilst still playing.

It might be 15 years, but it still feels like it was yesterday.

For historical reference, see 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, or any of the many times he’s been mentioned on my blog via a search for Matthew Shepard.