the president also spoke about matthew shepard, who was beaten to death in 1988 because he was gay. this is nearly 25 minutes. [cheers and applause] ♪ [cheers and applause] dr. biden: hello. hi, everybody. hi. thank you. thank you. please. [laughter] [cheering] thank you. thank you. thank you so much. please. please. thank you. thanks. thank you. thank you. >> four more years! four more years! four more years! dr. biden: thank you. thanks. >> four more years. four more years. four more years. dr. biden: really, thank you. please. well, i can certainly say we feel the love from you. thank you. and thank you, kelley, for that introduction. you are a trailblazer, and hrc is so lucky to have you. so, how is everyone tonight? look at you. such beauty and boldness. i'm so proud that this community has made d.c. such a thriving, welcoming home to lgbtq+ people. it's a remarkable departure from where we had been, when d.c. was a place where outing was used as a political weapon. tonight, we can celebrate without fear or shame. and thank you, kelley, for that introduction. you are a trailbla

the scope of how big it really was >> in fact, by the spring of 1999, everyone knew the name matthew shepardyears old. >> matt would be the age now that i was when we lost him. >> what do you think he might be doing? >> we often talk about how his dream was to be part of the state department he was so gifted in languages. and really cared about folks he thought had less than they should have had. >> perhaps it was matthew's trusting nature that made the 21-year-old university of wyoming student fall prey to two men he had met at a bar in laramie. sensing matthew was gay, they pretended to be gay, too, and invited him to a party >> on the way, said, we're not going to a party you're being jacked. give us your wallet. so they took his wallet, and then they proceeded to beat him. he had 18 blows to the skull and then they left him >> reporter: it was 18 hours before a bicyclist, thinking at first matthew was a scarecrow, found him, barely alive. >> i know you have said before that you have never visited the spot where matt was found. >> i haven't dennis has >> i have. >> why did you want to go

i remember matthew shepard vividly going up and i was convinced i would also happen to me. if someone finds out you are gay, it could get you killed. host: when you did come out, did life get better? chasten: life got better because other people helped me make it better. having your parents in your corner is life-changing. i don't know what would have happened to younger me had i not had the love of my family. and not everybody gets to go home. not everybody's mom picks up the phone and says, come back and we will figure it out. having friends in my corner that made me feel loved and accepted and who were there when it was difficult. that is how it got better for me. it took a very long time for me also to love myself. this problem of internalized homophobia, you grow up her 20 some years being told you are disgusting and not worthy of love, civil rights or protection. and that you will never know community. you really start to hate yourself. you start to believe some of the awful things that people are saying to you. that took me a while even after coming out to lean into

the rise, we have to do more to keep people and their communities safe. 25 years ago this week, matthew shepardas brutally taken from us. his courageous parents, judy and dennis, have turned his murder into a movement. [applause] as we remember him, we also remember lgbtq people and allies killed this year. like o'shae sibley, killed while dancing and expressing joy. laura ann carleton, who simply hung a pride flag outside, you know, think of that, she hung a pride flag outside her home. she was killed. colin smith, stabbed while defending a friend being harassed. and dozens of transgender americans, especially transgender women of color, killed every year. the department of homeland security and the department of justice and health and human services has launched a safety partnership to better protect festivals and marches and community centers and businesses, to better protect healthcare providers serving the community, and to help folks report hate crimes. nearly a year after the horrific shooting at club q in colorado springs, we have to fully implement the most significant gun safety law i

it was named after matthew shepard and james byrd. a black man, who was dragged from the back of a truck by white supremacists in texas, just like the hamas terrorists dying israelis from the backs of their vehicles today -- that comparison is out because at atl we have been tracking a white supremacist to have been rejoicing alongside islamist jihadist at the death of jews. what we need to keep in mind is this is happening against the backdrop of the most antisemitic incidents we've ever checked at atl. the highest numbers in almost 45 years. and we know that spasms of violence in the middle east, since 2021, in 2014, in 2012, in 2008, they evoked violence, vandalism, and harassment here at home. so the entire american jewish communities on alert. from synagogues today ccs to schools, organizations like mine, there are dozens of rallies planned tomorrow. if you can imagine this for a moment. in the wake of this violent, misogynists stick, horrible violence, there were actually rallies being played tomorrow to, quote, stand with pales

decision to strike that truck plant, quote, grossly irresponsible >>> today marks 25 years since matthew shepard them again for an exclusive interview they reflected upon their son, matt, where he would be if he were alive, as well as their response to what one of the perpetrators, russell henderson is now saying about the attack as he serves out a life sentence >> he said, quote, i think about matthew every single day of my life i think about him in every single one of those days that i have had that he hasn't had, his family hasn't had, his friends haven't had. i'm so, so ashamed i was ever apart of this. >> don't believe it for a second >> we differ there i think without the other guy, erin mckinney, russell wouldn't -- russell would have been fine. he was a follower up until he became involved in mckinney and drugs, he was a good kid, got lost, bad family life. i think he's just as much a victim as matt was >> that's a very compelling interview. katie will be with us live next thursday to share it in its entirety guys, we look forward to that. >> yes, we do. >>> news is covered. how about a

the president also spoke about matthew shepard, who was beaten to death in 1988 because he was gay. this is nearly 25 minutes. [cheers and applause] ♪