by Susan Raffo

About the author: Susan Raffo is a freelance writer.

Like many others, I attended a vigil in my hometown to honor Matthew Shepard. [Shepard, a gay college student, was robbed, beaten, tied to a fence post, and left for dead in Wyoming in October 1998.] This vigil was a perfect example of the organizing power contained within the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Trans- gender (GLBT) community. Within three days, a site had been selected, a full outdoor sound system found, a series of speakers scheduled, and a massive phone and email notification system initiated. When it was raining heavily a few hours before the vigil, an alternative site—a large Episcopalian church nearby— was found and the entire vigil moved inside. By 7:30 P.M. the church was standing room only and there were...