The family of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old Wyoming man killed in a brutal homophobic attack in 1998, had sharp words for Attorney General William Barr in a speech delivered Wednesday at the Justice Department.

Matthew Shepard murder site Laramie Wyoming Snowy View Road Pilot Peak Rd
Matthew Shepard murder site Laramie Wyoming Snowy View Road Pilot Peak Rd - Photo by Tony Webster [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The striking speech, at an event marking the anniversary of a hate crimes law named for Matthew Shepard in the Justice Department’s ornate Great Hall, drew a standing ovation from an audience that included department attorneys.

«We find it interesting and hypocritical that (Barr) would invite us to this event commemorating a hate crime law named after our son and Mr. Byrd, while at the same time asking the Supreme Court to allow the legalised firing of transgender employees», said Cynthia Deitle, the programs and operations director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, referring to James Byrd Jr., a black man killed by white supremacists in 1998.

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