Posts
"Shepard, according to the findings of the court, was kidnapped and brutally beaten by Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson after he made a sexual advance at one of the two men at a bar. According to McKinney's then-girlfriend, both men pretended to be homosexual in order to lure Shepard outside and rob him.
"Shepard was later found brutally beaten, robbed and tied to a fence. He died five days later of massive head injuries.
"Shepard's death and the trials of McKinney and Henderson galvanized homosexuals and their supporters across the country, fueling the call for state and federal 'hate-crime' legislation. Conservative Christians were singled out as having created a 'climate of anti-gay hate' where such a brutal act could happen."
