Oct. 12 Event on Branford Green Honors a Legacy Towards Advancement of LGBTQ+ Rights

Press Release from the Trinity Episcopal Church of Branford

Trinity Episcopal Church, First Congregational Church, and First Baptist Church, all of Branford, are hosting an event on Thursday, Oct. 12 at 6 p.m. on the Branford Green, marking the 25th anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepard and honoring Matthew’s legacy towards the advancement of LGBTQ+ rights.

Matthew Shepard was a 21-year-old gay student at the University of Wyoming who was brutally beaten and left to die on a fence in 1998 by two men who targeted him for his sexuality.

In the aftermath of Matthew’s death, his parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard, started the Matthew Shepard Foundation to promote love and acceptance for LGBTQ+ persons and to advocate for the advancement of LGBTQ+ rights. In 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act. In 2018, Matthew’s remains were moved to their final resting place at the Washington National Cathedral.

All are welcome to this event.