Matthew Shepard died Oct. 12, 1998 after he was beaten into a coma and left for dead in a field east of Laramie, Wyoming, because he was gay. His mother, Judy Shepard releases a special statement for the 10th anniversary of Matthew's death, titled TEN YEARS OF CHANGE - NO PROGRESS: "It’s hard to believe that it has been ten years since Matthew’s death. So much has changed yet so much remains the same. I want to thank all of you for your unwavering support for the Foundation. I know that you understand our work is far from over. I don’t mean the work of the Foundation exclusively I mean the work we all need to do at a personal level. We need to continue talking to our friends, families and co-workers. Unless we are honest about who we are and are able to share with those who love us what our lives are like, they will not know how to help us. We need those allies in this struggle to achieve equality across the board to realize all of our civil rights. Great advances have been made in changing people’s attitudes and eliminating ignorance about the gay community even in my wonderful state of Wyoming. At least I thought so, until I read the readers’ comments following an article about the ten year observance of Matt’s death in the Cheyenne, Wyoming newspaper..." Read the full letter on Matthew Shepard foundation. Watch a video of Judy Shepard...

A Memorial Bench honoring slain University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard has been formally dedicated last saturday. The 21-year-old gay student was beaten, lashed to a lonely fence and left to die in October 1998. The crime triggered nationwide sympathy and revulsion and brought a re-examination of attitudes toward gays. "We've learned a lot, we've talked a lot; we do it in public forums now. So it's a wonderful tribute to Matt that these kinds of things are discussed," his mother Judy Shepard said. University of Wyoming President Tom Buchanan said: "Through our actions, we will continue to demonstrate that diversity and inclusion are core values at UW. Just as we live with the loss of Matt, we live every day at UW committed to the ideal that we treat all with dignity and respect. A memorial bench can serve as a reminder of that commitment, but we must continue to work hard to make it a reality," reports The AP.

Visit Matthew Shepard Foundation

Tonight, T.R. Knight will join the Matthew Shepard Foundation to help kick off National Gay-Pride month with a celebration of the California Supreme Court decision and a dusk "commitment to protect our rights" ceremony at the famed West Hollywood hotspot in California, The Abbey. At 8pm, couples from around the nation will commit with a "vow to vote no" and support of the campaign to defeat the November ballot measure that would take away the marriage rights granted by the Supreme Court (see previous post). The event will be officiated by West Hollywood Mayor Jeffrey Prang and witnessed by Judy Shepard and a host of celebrities. Couples will be wearing the Matthew Shepard Erase Hate pendant courtesy of Love and Pride jewelry designer, Udi Behr.

Source Matthew Shepard Foundation

Judy Shepard (left picture) reacted after Oklahoma state representative Sally Kern's (right picture) anti-gay speech: "Sally Kern’s comments hit me like a punch to the gut. I was enormously saddened that someone—anyone, really, but especially an elected official—could say such mean things about other human beings. We have so much to deal with already—the incessant dreary news about war, about the economy, about shocking crimes. I’m amazed that someone like Sally Kern found the time to push a whole new theory about who we should fear... My son died nearly ten years ago at the hands of people whose hatred changed many lives that day. It hardened hearts and brought others to their knees. It shook a nation and enraged millions. At that time, I knew there was a window of opportunity that I could use Matthew’s story and my voice in replacing hate with understanding, compassion and acceptance. Through the Matthew Shepard Foundation, we are reaching young people who are at risk of being poisoned by the dark ideas of people like Sally Kern. I don’t know why Sally Kern is proud of comparing gay people to cancer or terrorism, but count me as someone who’s listening now to people like her. She may be free to say people like my son are a threat to America, but when she does she puts other mothers’ sons in danger. I pray she doesn’t say it anymore."
Watch Kern on KFOR's Flashpoint debating her speech with an openly gay pastor, Scott Jones of Oklahoma City's Cathedral of Hope (part 1 & 2)...



Source GayPolitics.com, Matthew Shepard Foundation & KFOR TV

In observance of the 10 years since the death of Matthew Shepard, who was murdered at the age of 21 in an anti-gay hate crime in Wyoming in October 1998, the Matthew Shepard Foundation has announced that they plan to launch an aggressive anti-hate campaign aimed at engaging the general public in the mission to “Replace Hate with Understanding, Compassion and Acceptance". Judy Shepard will unveil the new campaign during the 7th Annual Bear to Make a Difference Gala, which will take place on Saturday, March 29 in Denver, Colorado. “In the past ten years since my son’s death, I have spoken to over one million people who are searching for a way to help us in our mission to Erase Hate. We developed this campaign with that goal in mind and are eager to provide individuals with the tools and resources needed to amplify their voice and begin to turn the tide on hate in America.” Said Judy Shepard, Executive Director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Bear to Make a Difference will be hosted by Mike Nelson of Denver’s ABC 7News and will include a large silent auction, remarks by the Foundation’s Executive Director, Judy Shepard, and a live auction of teddy bears signed by celebrities such as Dolly Parton, Better Midler, Ellen DeGeneres, Liza Minnelli, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. More info on the event here.

Source The Matthew Shepard Foundation

Rufus Wainwright, MTV Networks president Brian Graden and the CBS soap opera "As The World Turns" (picture Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann) were among the big winners Monday at the 19th annual Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Media Awards ceremony held at New York's Marriott Marquis. Strand Releasing's Middle East political romance "The Bubble"and Paramount's fantasy "Stardust" (featuring Robert De Niro as a gay pirate) took home outstanding film awards, as did First Run's religion documentary "For the Bible Tells Me So." "Turns" won outstanding daily drama. The show includes a gay romantic story line. Judy Shepard won the top Excellence in Media Award for her efforts to stop anti-gay violence after the death of her son Matthew Shepard. Graden took home the Vito Russo Award for his networks' inclusion of gays in programming, and cable network BET J won special recognition for the same. ABC's "Boston Legal" won outstanding individual episode (in a series without a regular lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered character) for "Do Tell." Additional GLAAD awards will be presented in South Florida on April 12 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Los Angeles on April 26 at the Kodak Theatre, and in San Francisco on May 10 at the San Francisco Marriott.

Source The Hollywood Reporter

Judy Shepard told The Advocate why Congress dropped the Matthew Shepard Act, what her next step will be, and how the 10-year anniversary of Matt's murder will not pass quietly. "I thought that once it went through the Senate, once it was attached to the defense bill, that it would not come out. In conference we knew [its removal] was a possibility because of the division in the House over the defense bill at large, certain people, and other people not wanting the hate-crime bill no matter where it appears. So we knew there would be a discussion, but it never crossed my mind once that it would be yanked. The speaker of the House (Nancy Pelosi) seems to be equally committed to getting the hate-crime bill done. She, or someone speaking for her, is saying they hope to reintroduce it early in ’08. Since it’s an election year, I think it makes it a little more volatile, though with the hate-crime bill, poll after poll shows that the American people want this to pass. I don’t understand what the big deal is to Congress when they say, “Well, our constituents don’t want this to pass." We know that, by and large, a huge amount, 75% or more, want this to happen... We are expecting a lot of different things next year. Thinking back 10 years, it's hard to believe the hate-crime bill is still not passed. Why not? We'll be talking about that in the year to come."

Source The Advocate

U.S. House-Senate conferees confirmed last Thursday that the Matthew Shepard Act, which had passed the Senate as an amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization bill, would be removed from the final version of the bill. This announcement was made after House Leadership’s whipping the vote count on the conference report concluded there were not enough votes for passage of the bill if it included the hate crimes provision. Inclusion of the hate crimes provision in the final version of the bill fell victim in the House to challenges from opponents of hate crimes as well as unrelated concerns regarding Iraq-related provisions of the bill. The hate crimes veto threat issued by the White House and organized opposition by House Republican Leadership cost significant numbers of votes on the right. Iraq-related provisions that many progressive Democrats opposed cost votes on the left. Moderate Democrats, many of whom voted for the hate crimes bill in May, did not want to test the President’s veto threat and risk a delay in increased pay for military personnel. All of these factors resulted in insufficient votes to secure passage of the bill with the hate crimes provision. "Today’s decision is deeply disappointing, especially given the historic passage of hate crimes legislation through both Houses of Congress this year. After more than ten years and several successful bipartisan votes, it is heartbreaking to fall short this close to the finish line," said Joe Solmonese, President of the Human Rights Campaign. "However, we are not giving up on efforts to find another legislative vehicle, in the second half of this Congress, to move the Matthew Shepard Act." In a press release, Judy and Dennis Shepard, Matthew’s parents, said, “We are truly dismayed to find that Congress now will put aside its leadership on passage of federal hate crimes legislation that includes sexual orientation and gender identity. At this time of year that fills us all with hope for humankind, we are sad to find that a Congressional majority of each House who have already adopted the Matthew Shepard Act cannot yet come together."

Source The Human Rights Campaign

The U.S. Senate passed the Matthew Shepard Act, Thursday, September 27. The legislation expands federal hate crimes laws to include violence based upon sexual orientation, gender identity, gender, and disability. It provides new resources to local law enforcement officials to address these types of crimes, and allows for federal intervention when local officials do not fulfill their responsibilities in this area. The measure was sponsored by Senators Ted Kennedy (D-Massachusetts) and Gordon Smith (R-Oregon) and passed the Senate 60 votes to 39. President Bush, through a spokesman, has threatened to veto the legislation as "unnecessary".
"Today's Senate vote sends a bold and unmistakable message that violent crimes committed in the name of hate must end," said Judy and Dennis Shepard, parents of the late Matthew Shepard, the gay Wyoming college student who was killed in 1998 (read previous posts). "The Matthew Shepard Act is an essential step to erasing hate in America and we are humbled that it bears our son's name. It has been almost nine years since Matthew was taken from us. This bill is a fitting tribute to his memory and to all of those who have lost their lives to hate." Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese said, "Today, the U.S. Senate has sent a clear message to every corner of our country that we will no longer turn a blind eye to anti-gay violence in America. Congress has taken a historic step forward and moved our country closer to the realization that all Americans, including the GLBT community, are part of the fabric of our nation." HRC has long pushed for the legislation. Solmonese urged Bush to sign it. Watch Joe Solmonese's video...


Source The Bay Area Reporter

Last week, during the U.S. Senate introduction of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, Senators Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and Gordon Smith, R-Ore., renamed the Senate version of the legislation the “Matthew Shepard Act.” The renaming of the Senate version of the legislation was done in honor of hate crime victim Matthew Shepard the 21-year-old gay college student who died in 1998 after he was beaten and tied to a fence in Laramie, Wyoming, and highlighted the problem of anti-gay hate crimes for many Americans. The bill would strengthen the ability of law enforcement officials to investigate and prosecute hate crimes.
"This is a beautiful tribute to our son and his memory,” said Judy Shepard (picture below), executive director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation and mother of Matthew Shepard.



“After eight and a half years since Matthew’s death, his memory continues to be a ringing reminder, even at the highest levels of our government, about the need for this legislation,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese (picture above). About potential opposition from religious groups that disagree with homosexuality, Republican Senator Smith said: "This act is about the prosecution of crime, not prohibition of speech. Unless they believe part of their religion is the practice of violence against others, they should not be affected by this bill."

Source Human Rights Campaign