Gay Student Eulogized as Light to World

Matthew Shepard, the University of Wyoming student whose brutal murder has made him a national symbol for the campaign against hate crimes and anti-gay violence, was eulogized here Friday as a “light to the world” in “a world that is not always kind to gentle spirits.”

On a somber day accentuated by leaden skies and an early autumn snowstorm, hundreds of mourners--family members, friends, fellow students and ordinary citizens touched by Shepard’s death--filled St. Mark’s Episcopal Church for his funeral service.

Hundreds more at the nearby First Presbyterian Church listened to a broadcast of the service, which was led in part by Shepard’s cousin, the Rev. Anne Kitch, pastor of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Peekskill, N.Y.

Kitch implored Shepard’s mourners--and the world at large--to find in his life a lesson that transcends the evil of his death. She called him “a young man who met the world with eager expectation, who offered trust and friendship easily and lived honestly . . . , who trusted in the goodness of God’s world, who reveled in God’s creation and allowed people into his heart.”

“I believe Matt has shown us the way, out of the abyss into which his murder has plunged us,” Kitch said. “Matt has shown us the way, away from violence, hate and despair.”

Shepard, 21, died Monday, five days after he was robbed, beaten and left to die tied to a split-rail fence outside Laramie. His skull was smashed with a pistol butt.

Aaron McKinney, 22, and Russell Henderson, 21, both of Laramie, have been charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and robbery.

Their girlfriends, Chastity Pasley and Kristen Price, are charged as accessories.

Police said that robbery was the primary motive but that Shepard also was singled out because he was gay.

The slaying has put calls for hate-crime legislation on top of the national and state political agenda.

The slaying prompted rallies across the country and at the U.S. Capitol. President Clinton urged Congress to enact the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which has languished on Capitol Hill. On Thursday, the House passed a nonbinding resolution condemning Shepard’s death.

Clinton sent two representatives to the funeral: Togo West Jr., the secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Sean Maloney, deputy staff secretary at the White House. Maloney is the highest-ranking openly gay man working at the White House.

Mourners sang “Amazing Grace,” cried and wrapped their arms around each other. Shepard’s family filled the front of the church, where their son was baptized. His cremated remains were in an urn on the altar.

In a park nearby, others stood in the snow and listened to the service on a radio.

The sign outside St. Mark’s Episcopal Church said: “Love thy neighbor,” but heavy plastic orange barricades were set up around the building.

Anticipating demonstrations, the Casper City Council held an emergency meeting Thursday night and voted unanimously to prohibit protesting on public property within 50 feet of the service. The police presence was heavy, and bomb-sniffing dogs were used to make sure the church was safe.

About 20 people from fringe Christian groups held a protest rally. But in an effort to preserve the dignity of the funeral service, scores of mourners formed a line between the demonstrators and the church, linking arms and singing “Amazing Grace.”

And some passers-by challenged the protesters. “This isn’t what Jesus Christ would do. This isn’t what Christians do,” said David Anderson of Casper.

Even some other conservative Christian groups distanced themselves from the protest, saying picketing outside the church was a cruel act toward the family.

Earlier in the day, Shepard’s parents stood in a steady rain in front of City Hall to thank the public for its thousands of cards, letters and e-mails of support.

Struggling to keep his composure, Dennis Shepard said: “A person as caring and as loving as our son Matt would be overwhelmed by what this incident has done to the hearts and souls of people around the world. Matthew was the type of person that if this had happened to another person, would have been the first on the scene to offer his help, his hope and his heart.”

As he spoke, his wife, Judy, stood weeping behind him, one hand over her mouth.