and people who hadn't met him yet. >> reporter: matthew shepard's ashes will be interred at washington national cathedral on friday, october 26th. judy and dennis shepard are planning to donate personal papers and objects representing matthew's life to the smithsonian's permanent collection. >>> up next, the barrier this athlete with cerebral palsy has just broken. >>nnouncerabc news "nightline" sponsored by mercedes-benz. edes-benz. ♪ from the start, the c-class was ahead of its time. [ indistinct radio chatter ] still, we never stopped making it stronger. faster. smarter. because to be the best, is to never ever stop making it better. introducing the new c-class. visit your local mercedes-benz dealer for exclusive offers. endless shrimp is back at with all the shrimp you want, any way you want them. there's new sesame-ginger grilled shrimp with savory soy-ginger sauce and sprinkled with asian seasoning. and favorites like garlic shrimp scampi! but endless shrimp won't last endlessly, so hurry in. breathe right strips are designed to simply when nighttime nasal congestion closes in, open your nose right back up. ♪ breathe better. sl

at the national cathedral in washington, his parents, dennis and judy shepard at the emotional service and they talked to kate snow about their son. >> reporter: matthew shepard worshipped in the church and today the pews were all for him. >> and matt, welcome home. >> reporter: shepard was brutally attacked in 1998 tied to a fence and left to die, targeted because he was gay. back then his family quietly took his ashes home fearing any burial ground in wyoming might be vandalized. but when the national cathedral offered to inter his ashes, his parents say it felt right. >> matt loved the church so much. he'll feel at home here. >> reporter: is it hard? >> yes, it is. he's moving away. we had him with us for 20 years, and now he's moving away. >> reporter: it is a rare honor to be interred in this magnificent space. >> reporter: reserved for presidents and helen keller, i think, is behind us. >> that's right. matt seems not in that category to us. >> just ordinary people. the idea they could even consider having him here we thought was an honor. >> reporter: they say they choose people

amen. >> and so we choose judy and dennis shepard, sfx: tsfx: feet shufflingc life can change in an instant. be covered when it does... ...with a health plan through covered california. we offer free expert help choosing the best plan for you. and all of our plans include free preventive care. financial help is available, so check for yourself to see what savings you qualify for. for health insurance starting january 1st, enroll by december 15th. because you never know when life... ...will change. get covered today. i'm an imaginary friend of a kid just like you.ada! you probably have lots of questions. but look, we'll get through ter.

amen. >> and so we choose judy and dennis shepard, honoring their son, and still fighting for matthewbig corporations are making and just got a huge tax break. but the middle class is struggling. prop c is a common-sense plan. the top 1% of businesses pay their fair share to tackle homelessness for all of us. companies with revenue greater than $50 million pay, not small businesses or homeowners. the prop c plan is supported by the democratic party, teachers, and mental-health professionals. vote "yes" on c. big corporations pay for it, professionals. not you. he ♪ >>> breaking news. two suspicious packages carrying

matthew shepard was always different... says his mom judy. matt's favorite custome for 3 years in a row, from ages 8,9 and 10 was probably dolly parton.those differences defined matthew's life...and his death.when he was a 21 year old college student...two men viciously murdered shepard...because he was gay. shepard's death drew national attention and marked an important moment in the history of gay rights in america.<>twenty years later his parents donated his preschool diploma, superman cape and other belongings to the smithsonian's national museum of american history.they say it's another way to keep their son's memory alive.in 2009 congress passed the matthew shepard and james byrd jr. hate crimes prevention act. the legislation expanded the federal hate crimes law to include crimes motivated by a victim's perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.this wedding ring matthew hoped to give someone,some day, reminds civil rights advocate michelle morgan of the sacrifices made for gay marriage and other issues ."th

judy shepard's work has been successful, and i think that's an understatement. matthew shepard's story has resonated with people across the country and inspired change, including the 2009 passage of the matthew shepard and james byrd jr. hate crimes prevention act, which i cosponsored. this added gender, sexual orientation, gender eye dent eye or dis -- identity or disability as protected classes under existing federal hate crimes laws. though we made a great deal of progress over the last 20 years, there's still so much work to do. in 20166, -- 2016, over 6,000 hate crimes were reported and 124 were based on gender-identity violence. in order to help to stop this violence, i'm the author of the disarm hate act. this legislation would prevent those convicted of a violent misdemeanor hate crime or those who have received a hate crime sentence enhancement from buying or possessing a gun. it's critical that we work to not only address hate crimes, but to stop the culture of violence and prejudice that often begins as bullying and harassment in our schools. koorgt a