The Shepard family chose Washington National Cathedral as Matthew’s final resting place in part because of the Episcopal Church’s support of LGBTQ people. (Photo by Roger Mommaerts )

By WAMU’s Meg Anderson

The ashes of Matthew Shepard, a gay man who was murdered because of his sexual orientation, will be interred at the Washington National Cathedral later this month.

Shepard’s remains have been in storage in Wyoming, where he lived, since his death in 1998. His parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard, were reluctant to inter their son’s ashes in their home state, fearing that the place would be desecrated, according to Kevin Eckstrom, the Cathedral’s director of communications.

At the time of his murder, Shepard was a college student at the University of Wyoming. On Oct. 7, 1998, two men tied Shepard to a fence in Laramie, Wyoming and brutally beat him. He died five days later in a hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Shepard’s murder led to the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which expanded federal hate crime protections to include crimes against someone because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

In a statement, Judy and Dennis Shepard said: “We’ve given much thought to Matt’s final resting place, and we found the Washington National Cathedral is an ideal choice, as Matt loved the Episcopal church and felt welcomed by his church in Wyoming.”

The 20th anniversary of Shepard’s death is Friday. The interment will take place Oct. 26 following a service of thanksgiving and remembrance.

This story originally appeared on WAMU.