>>> IT WAS 20 YEARS AGO THIS
WEEKEND THAT A 21-YEAR-OLD
WYOMING COLLEGE STUDENT NAMED
MATTHEW SHEPARD WAS LURED FROM A
BAR, ROBBED AND BEATEN IN AN
ATTACK THAT WOULD TAKE HIS LIFE.
SHEPARD'S DEATH SPARKED VIGILS
AROUND THE WORLD AND TWO DECADES
NOW OF ACTIVISM IN HIS NAME.
MATTHEW'S PARENTS TURNED THEIR
GRIEF INTO ACTION AS THEY WORKED
TO PROTECT PEOPLE LIKE THEIR
SON.
NBC'S STEPHANIE GOSK HAS OUR
SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT.
>> Reporter: A PERFORMER TAKES
HIS PLACE ON STAGE.
>> MY SON MATTHEW DID NOT LOOK
LIKE A WINNER.
>> Reporter: BUT THE LINES HE'S
DELIVERING ARE HIS WORDS AND THE
STORY HE'S TELLING IS HIS OWN.
>> ON OCTOBER 12, 1998, MY FIRST
BORN SON AND HERO DIED.
>> THE LARAMIE PROJECT, A
LANDMARK PLAY, EXPLORES THE
EVENTS OF THE MURDER OF MATTHEW
SHEPHERD.
>> GO HOME, GIVE YOUR KIDS A
HUG.
>> Reporter: AND FOR THE FIRST
TIME, MATT'S FATHER, DENNIS
SHEPARD, IS READING HIS PART.
IT'S BEEN 20 YEARS SINCE THE
TRAGEDY ROCKED THE COUNTRY,
BEGAN TO RESHAPE THE WAY WE
THINK ABOUT HATE CRIME.
>> IT'S HARD WHEN YOU SAY IT OUT
LOUD THAT IT'S BEEN 20 YEARS
THAT WE'VE BEEN WITHOUT MATT.
THAT'S REALLY HEARTBREAKING.
>> ON THE NIGHT OF OCTOBER 6th,
1998, TWO MEN TARGETED AND
ABDUCTED MATT DRIVING INTO A ROW
MOW THE AREA EAST OF LAYRAMIE,
WYOMING.
>> THEY REACHED A DEAD END
TOWARDS THE END OF THIS ROAD AND
TOOK MATT OUT OF THE TRUCK, TIED
HIM TO A BUCK FENCE THAT'S JUST
OUT HERE PAST THIS HILLSIDE
BEHIND ME AND HIT HIM IN THE
HEAD 19 TO 20 TIMES WITH THE
BUTT END OF A .357 PISTOL.
>> Reporter: MATT WAS TORTURED
AND LEFT TO DIE FOUND BY A
BICYCLIST AFTER 18 HOURS.
HE NEVER REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS
AND DIED LATER.
>> AT 12:57 MATT THROUGH SHEPARD
DIED.
>>> THE TRAGEDY WOULD BECOME ONE
OF THE MOST NOTORIOUS ANTI-GAY
HATE CRIMES IN HISTORY.
>> MATT'S FUNERAL AND THE MURDER
TRIALS WHICH LED TO MULTIPLE
LIFE SENTENCES DOMINATED THE
MEDIA.
>> EVERYBODY, MALE AND FEMALE,
COULD LOOK AT MATT AND SEE
SOMETHING THAT WAS SIMILAR TO
WHAT THEIR EXPERIENCES WERE.
>> THE CORRESPONDENCE WE GOT WAS
EASILY HALF FROM THE STRAIGHT
COMMUNITY.
I DIDN'T KNOW THIS WAS
HAPPENING.
I HAD NO IDEA.
IT WAS IGNORANCE.
MAINSTREAM MEDIA HAD NOT AT ALL
COVERED THE GAY COMMUNITY
OUTSIDE OF THE AIDS PAN DEM
ANYTHINGS AND THE PRIDE PARADES.
>> Reporter: THE SHEPARD'S LIVES
WERE ALTERED FOREVER.
THEY WOULD GO ON TO LEAD AN
ACTIVIST MOVEMENT THAT WOULD
RESULT IN THE PASSAGE OF THE
HATE CRIMES PREVENTION ACT, A
FEDERAL LAW AGAINST BIAS CRIMES
DIRECTED AT LGBT PEOPLE.
>> YOU KNOW, I JUST SAW THIS
VERY BRIGHT, INTELLECTUAL
WORLDLY YOUNG PERSON.
IT'S ONE OF THE MYSTERIES THAT
KEEPS GOING.
I CAN'T EVER REALLY KNOW WHAT HE
MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
ACCOMPLISH, BUT I HAVE A PRETTY
GOOD IDEA OF WHAT WE CAN
ACCOMPLISH IN HIS NAME IF WE
KEEP DOING IT, SO WE DO.
>> Reporter: WORK THAT REMAINS
IMPORTANT TODAY.
HATE CRIMES ROSEANNE AVERAGE OF
12.5% IN 2017.
>> WE IN NO WAY ANTICIPATED THAT
WE WOULD MAKE THIS GIANT U-TURN.
I FEEL LIKE WE'RE HAVING TO
START ALL OVER.
>> Reporter: DESPITE CHALLENGES
AHEAD, THE MEMORY OF MATT LIVES
ON.
>> GOOD IS COMING OUT OF EVIL.
PEOPLE HAVE SAID, ENOUGH IS
ENOUGH.
I MISS MY SON BUT I'M PROUD TO
SAY HE IS