10/06/2026
Dear Choral Spectrum Community,
Today, October 6, I ask each of you to take a moment to remember Matthew Shepard.
Twenty-eight years ago tonight, on October 6, 1998, a 21-year-old young man left a bar in Laramie, Wyoming, and accepted a ride from two men he had just met. What followed was an act of unimaginable violence and hatred.
Matthew was robbed, pistol-whipped, brutally beaten, tortured, tied to a fence in a remote area, and left alone in the freezing night. He was discovered approximately eighteen hours later, still alive but gravely injured. He never regained consciousness.
Matthew Shepard died at 12:53 a.m. on October 12, 1998.
He was 21 years old.
Twenty-eight years later, we remember Matthew not simply because of the horrific way his life ended, but because of the life he should have been allowed to live.
We remember his family.
We remember the countless LGBTQIA+ people who have experienced hatred, discrimination, rejection, violence, or simply been made to feel that they do not belong.
And we remember because we have not yet come as far as we should have.
There have been tremendous advances in LGBTQIA+ rights and visibility since Matthew’s death. But progress does not mean the work is finished. Hate still exists. Discrimination still exists. Fear still exists. And there are still LGBTQIA+ young people who wonder whether they are safe, accepted, or worthy simply because of who they are.
That is why Choral Spectrum KC matters.
Every time we sing together, every time we welcome someone through our doors, every time we stand before an audience, every time we share our stories, and every time we create a safe space for someone who may not yet have found one—we are doing more than making music.
We are educating.
We are transforming.
We are building bridges.
We are creating connection.
We are reminding our community that LGBTQIA+ people belong.
Our voices are powerful. Not only because of the music we create, but because of the message behind it.
Matthew Shepard’s life reminds us that silence is not enough.
We must continue to speak.
We must continue to educate.
We must continue to challenge hatred and ignorance.
We must continue creating spaces where LGBTQIA+ people, especially young people, transgender and non-binary individuals, and those who are struggling to find their place, can discover that they are not alone.
And we must continue using our voices to tell our communities:
You are worthy.
You are loved.
You are seen.
You belong.
So today, wherever you are, please take a moment to remember Matthew Shepard.
Light a candle. Say his name. Think about the world Matthew deserved to live in, and then think about the world we have the opportunity to help create.
Twenty-eight years later, Matthew’s story still matters.
And so does what we do with it.
With love, remembrance, and hope,
Kaitlin G. Fields, Ph.D., MSW
Board Member | Development & Corporate Engagement
