President Joe Biden issued a statement in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Matthew Shepard's death.

Shepard was a student at the University of Wyoming at the time that two men severely beat him and left him to die in Laramie, Wyoming, in 1998. He was 21 at the time and a gay man. The Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which was enacted during the Obama-Biden administration, was named after Shepard as it honored him by including sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability coverage in hate crime law.

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Many presumed Shepard was targeted for being gay. Biden also insinuated the same by claiming in his statement that Shepard was killed "simply for being himself." The two men involved are serving two consecutive life sentences for the murder.

"Matthew’s tragic and senseless murder shook the conscience of the American people. And his courageous parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard, turned Matthew’s memory into a movement, galvanizing millions of people to combat the scourge of anti-LGBTQI+ hate and violence in America," Biden wrote.

"Our charge is to continue the fight against hate, against violence, and against bigotry in all its forms. Today, as threats and violence targeting the LGBTQI+ community continue to rise, our work is far from finished. No American should face hate or violence for who they are or who they love," he went on.

Biden urged Congress to pass the Equality Act, implying he is ready and willing to sign it. The bill would essentially make his executive order issued on day one of his presidency into law, offering further protections to gay and transgender people.

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Shepard was buried in the National Cathedral in 2018, 20 years after his death. While his family held a funeral service for him at the time of his death, they never settled on a burial plot out of fear of vandalism.

The president expressed his hope that "God bless" Shepard's parents, Judy and Dennis, along with others who mourned him Thursday.