When Brian Calls Michael While He's Out With His Co-Workers Brian Says That They Would Probably Tie Him To A Fence And Bash His Brains In If They Knew He Was Gay, This May Be A Reference To Matthew Shepard Who Was Robbed, Brutally Beaten And Tied To A Fence Post On October 6 1998 By Two Men For Being Gay He Died 6 Days Later In The Hospital He Was Only 21.