Many of those in power, both in Wyoming and in Washington, D.C., ignored or rejected these calls. Shepard’s death spurred calls for the inclusion of violence against homosexuals in anti-hate crimes legislation. While Falwell was meeting with gays in Virginia, preparations were being made in Wyoming for the trial of one of the men accused of killing Matthew Shepard - a gay college student - in 1998. Fred Phelps of Topeka - went so far as to say that Falwell would burn in hell for inviting gays to attend Sunday services in his church. Jerry Falwell met with a group of gay Christians recently, he found himself in the unusual position of being on the receiving end of anti-gay protests.
