The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Ally Alliance, Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Student Services, Parents and Family of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) and supporters are holding a candle-light vigil in memory of Matthew Shepard, the University of Wyoming student who was the victim of a hate crime last week in Laramie, Wyo.

The vigil will be held tonight at 9:30 p.m. south of the Campanile. Everyone is invited to attend.

Shepard, 21, died Monday at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colo., after being savagely beaten by Russell Henderson, 21, and Aaron McKinney, 22. The two men lured Shepard, who was openly gay, away from a campus hangout. After beating Shepard, Henderson and McKinney left him tied to a split-rail fence, where he was discovered last Wednesday.

Both men are being charged with first-degree murder and under Wyoming law could receive the death penalty.

Members of LGBTAA said they hope the event will help educate the public on the prevalence of hate crimes.

“[The purpose is] to raise awareness of the incident that happened in Wyoming and hate crimes everywhere,” said Jeff Sorensen, staff adviser for LGBTAA and Computation Center systems analyst.

The vigil is intended to pay respect to Shepard and remember the struggles faced by members of the gay and lesbian community, Sorensen said.

“This is our tribute to Matthew and the situation that happened and to inform the community of what happened and why we are so upset about it,” said Angie Chipman, president of LGBTAA and junior in psychology and education.

Sorensen said LGBTAA leaders hope many people will attend the vigil.

“I think [the vigil] will make people more aware. It’s kind of a reality shock for some people,” Sorensen said. “Though they might seem like different places, acts of violence like that can happen anywhere.”

Chipman said Ames currently has a hate-crime law, but Iowa does not.

“Hopefully, Iowa will take what happened in Wyoming as a warning call that there is this type of hatred out there, so they can take some time to reevaluate their stereotypes and fears and come to the conclusion that [LGBT] people are not the monsters that they have portrayed them to be,” Chipman said.

Sorensen said the only way to change people’s perceptions is through “education, understanding and knowing someone who fits in the minority category.”

LGBTAA leaders hope this incident will encourage people to vote for a stronger hate-crime law the next time it is brought up.

Chipman said this can be accomplished by “letting the public know what is going on.”

“People who are in charge of voting on [hate crime laws] are close-minded to this issue,” Chipman said.