Matthew Shepard's Ashes Interred at National Cathedral

Shepard, a gay man, was killed in 1998
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Oct 26, 2018 5:28 PM CDT
Matthew Shepard's Ashes Interred at National Cathedral
Rev. V. Gene Robinson looks to the ashes of Matthew Shepard as he delivers the homily at the "Thanksgiving and Remembrance of Matthew Shepard" service at Washington National Cathedral in Washington.   (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The ashes of Matthew Shepard, whose 1998 killing became a rallying cry for the gay rights movement, have been laid to rest in Washington National Cathedral, the AP reports. More than 2,000 people gathered at the cathedral on Friday to celebrate the life and honor the memory of Shepard, a 21-year-old gay man.Shepard's ashes had for 20 years been kept by his family in Wyoming, where the college student was killed. The ashes have been interred in the Washington cathedral's crypt. The ceremony's homily was delivered by the Rev. V. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church and a close friend of the Shepard family. Shepard's gruesome killing at the hands of two roofing workers who authorities say targeted him because he was gay drew attention to the violence and discrimination endured by LGBTQ people across America. (More Matthew Shepard stories.)

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