Judy Shepard

Her son became a symbol for anti-hate legislation

Comments (0) By Julia Ramey Thursday, Jul 1 2010

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Judy Shepard had every reason to retreat into silent anonymity after the horrible events of 1998. Her son Matthew, a university student who happened to be gay, was brutally beaten and left to die in Laramie, Wyoming. Following his death, antigay protesters publicly declared that her son was in hell. Determined to bring those responsible to justice, Judy helped convict his killers and went on to become a prominent anti-hate activist and Board President of the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Her work and that of hundreds of other people who were moved to action by Matthew's death has since literally redefined "hate." Today, she'll appear at Brazos Bookstore to discuss The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed, which details her struggle to pass the Matthew Shepard Act, legislation named after her son which qualifies crimes based on sexual orientation as hate crimes. The law took effect last year, but Shepard says there's still more work to do. Hear one woman's remarkable story at 7 p.m. 2421 Bissonnet. For information, call 713-523-0701 or visit www.brazosbookstore.com. Free.
Wed., July 7, 7 p.m., 2010