And then he represented so many gay people who’d been killed similarly. He wasn’t JUST Matt, he was ALL of them.
The attack on him was horrific and brutal, but so many other acts of violence on gay men have been.
And then, came the truth of his remarkable size. He was so small, it’s hardly likely any grown women would feel the least bit intimidated by him.
So the oft asserted defense of sexual aggression seemed ludicrous.

But it typically always IS ludicrous. No matter how outnumbered, how obviously the attackers CAME armed and prepared for violence, no matter that THEY might approach the victim first, the defense was always the same.

The national sensation this crime caused, was also the impetus for hate crimes laws. But most importantly, for more significant sentences for such crimes.
Gay men and lesbians and transgendered have the unique and terrible problem, of ALWAYS being unsympathetic victims.
Ever since Matt Shepard, there have been more life sentences imposed than ever before for first degree murders with special circumstances.

Even if he wasn’t a saint, and had vices many people do, the fact remains he truly was a sweet person, and utterly harmless for such brutality to even be motivated.