Judy Shepard, who lost her eldest son in an anti-gay murder on a Wyoming college campus in 1998, is scheduled to speak at the College of Charleston in the Stern Center Ballroom on October 21, 2013 at 7 p.m. Shepard’s lecture, titled “The Legacy of Matthew Shepard,” focuses on her son’s tragic death and the need to stop hate crimes.
Following Matthew’s death, public outcry coast to coast emphasized the growing epidemic of hate crimes. Since Matthew was killed, Shepard has spoken nationwide against homophobia and making schools and communities safer for everyone regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. Although she and her husband, Dennis, have mourned greatly in the wake of Matthew’s death, Shepard says she feels Matthew with her every day while she continues his fight for social justice.
[Related: Judy Shepard speaks at the Ford Theatre.]
Judy and Dennis have started the Matthew Shepard Foundation to help carry on Matthew’s legacy of acceptance. She has also testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee to support the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, appeared in two Human Rights Campaign public service announcements, and one public service announcement sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) that aired on MTV in 1999. She has also become actively involved in Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians And Gays (PFLAG).
