Laramie remembers Matthew Shepard attack

http://www.advocate.com/new_news.asp?ID=10099&sd=10/08/03

Five years ago Tuesday, an openly gay college freshman named Matthew Shepard was tied to a fence and beaten into a coma. His death five days later left Peter Moran shaken about Laramie, Wyo., a community of 27,000 and the place where he grew up. "It was the worst possible thing you could hear about your hometown," Moran recalled. He remembered telling his wife, "Laramie is a nicer town than this."

Today, Laramie seems to be more tolerant and understanding of gays. There are seminars on gay issues, diversity workshops, and an annual walk to raise money for HIV/AIDS organizations. "In Laramie and throughout the country, it's all gotten better," said Travis, a University of Wyoming senior and executive board member of Spectrum, the campus gay and lesbian group. Travis asked that his last name not be used because he doesn't want his parents to know he is gay. Gay Awareness Week has turned into Gay Awareness Month, and the university is supporting the Rainbow Resource Center, where gay students can hang out.