Matthew Shepard’s ashes to be interred at National Cathedral

The ashes of Matthew Shepard, whose death 20 years ago marked a flashpoint for the LGBTQ rights movement, will be interred later this month at the Washington National Cathedral.

The cathedral announced Thursday that it would host a service for Shepard on Oct. 26.

“Matthew’s death on Oct. 12, 1998, shocked the conscience of the nation and electrified the LGBTQ movement,” the cathedral said in a statement on its website. “While Matthew died too young, his death nonetheless gave life to a new generation of activists and allies who are committed to proclaiming God’s love for all of God’s children — no exceptions or exclusions.”

20 years after his death, Matthew Shepard will be interred at @WNCathedral on 10/26 at 10 am. More details at https://t.co/OETHxyfWZ8 pic.twitter.com/bOJbHJslU2

— National Cathedral (@WNCathedral) October 11, 2018

{mosads}The New York Times reported that Shepard’s family had been hesitant following Matthew’s death to settle on a final resting place out of fear it would be desecrated. They ultimately settled on the National Cathedral, an Episcopalian church that recently hosted services for the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

“I think it’s the perfect, appropriate place,” Dennis Shepard, Matthew’s father, told the newspaper.

“It’s a place where there’s an actual chance for others to sit and reflect about Matthew, and about themselves, and about their friends,” Dennis Shepard added.

Matthew Shepard was 21 when he was robbed by two men, pistol-whipped, tied to a fence and left to die in Laramie, Wyo. Shepard died a short time later in a hospital.

His death became a symbol of the violence the LGBTQ community endured, and led to Congress passing legislation aimed at preventing hate crimes.

Shepard’s mother, Judy, was featured in a 2016 campaign ad supporting Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and warning against the dangers of then-candidate Donald Trump’s rhetoric.

“Words have an influence; violence causes pain; hate can rip us apart,” Shepard said in an ad. “I know what can happen as the result of hate, and Donald Trump should never be our president.”

–This report was updated at 11:18 a.m.