Today in Labor History October 12, 1998: Matthew Shepard died from injuries sustained after being beaten and tortured in a homophobic assault in Laramie, Wyoming. The crime led to numerous attempts to enact new anti-hate crime laws at the local and federal level. All were opposed by conservative groups and most failed. It wasn’t until 2009 that the Matthew Shepard Act was finally signed into law. NBA player Jason Collins wore jersey number “98” in honor of Matthew Shepard during the 2021-2013 season, before coming out himself. “The Laramie Project” was a play about Matthew Shepard’s life and death written by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project.