IV 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 777 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 24, 2009 Mr. McDermott (for himself, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, and Mr. Polis of Colorado) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTION Honoring all those participating in a production of The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later in remembrance of Matthew Shepard.

Whereas Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old student at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming, was beaten and tortured, tied to a wooden fence, and left for dead, due to his sexual orientation; Whereas Matthew Shepard died as a result of his injuries on October 12, 1998, in a Colorado hospital, surrounded by his loving family and friends; Whereas the highly acclaimed play “The Laramie Project” was written in reaction to the murder of Matthew Shepard, based on hundreds of interviews conducted by members of the Tectonic Theater Project with residents of Laramie, journal entries of Project members, and news reports; Whereas The Laramie Project, since its first performance in 2000, has been among the most performed plays in America; Whereas on Monday, October 12, 2009, on the 11th anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s death, dozens of theaters across the United States will simultaneously debut an 80-minute epilogue to The Laramie Project entitled The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later; Whereas the writers of the The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later are Tectonic Theater Project members Moisés Kaufman, Leigh Fondakowski, Greg Pierotti, Andy Paris, and Stephen Belber; Whereas The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later focuses on the long-term effects of the murder of Matthew Shepard on the town of Laramie, Wyoming, exploring how the town has changed and how the murder continues to reverberate through the community; and Whereas The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later will be performed in New York at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, and at over 100 other theaters in all 50 States, including the Seattle Repertory Theater; the Arena Stage in Washington, DC; Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio; Lied Center for the Performing Arts in Lincoln, Nebraska; Williams Theatre in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and the Berkeley Repertory Theater; and will also be performed in Canada, Great Britain, Spain, Hong Kong, and Australia: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)honors all those participating in a production of The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later in remembrance of Matthew Shepard; (2)expresses its continuing condemnation of all violent acts motivated by hatred, including the torture and murder of Matthew Shepard, and commends the involvement of all Americans in building a more civil and tolerant society; and (3)congratulates the participants and patrons involved for continuing to engage in activities that raise awareness of hate crimes in our society.