Most of you likely know the story of Matthew Shepard, the University of Wyoming student brutally murdered in 1998 for being gay. Cathy Renna was working for GLAAD at the time, and was asked by the LGBT student group at the University to help manage the overwhelming media attention in the wake of the attack. She recently gave a TEDx talk on her experience, the impact of Matthew’s death, and the power of stories.
Stories can be told in many ways. Two new works—one poetic, one academic—take strikingly different approaches to telling the stories of LGBT people and families.
This year’s National Coming Out Day brings with it a certain poignancy. On the one hand, it has been amazing this past year to watch students like Constance McMillen, who not only came out, but took on her school district when it said she couldn’t attend prom with her girlfriend and wear a tux. On
Wow. Another week of major news. I’ll keep this fairly short, though, as there’s bound to be lots of news next week after the elections, one way or another. U.S. National News President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. It’s worth reading his remarks (link above) and Judy
I don’t usually just post press releases, but I think this one from the Matthew Shepard Foundation needs no explanation. The legislation is due in large part to parental love. After a decade of debate, persistent advocacy and 14 separate congressional floor votes, President Barack Obama today signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James
Lest we forget, in the communal excitement and debriefing over the National Equality March: Today marks eleven years since the death of University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard after a brutal gay bashing. His mother Judy Shepard, one of the LGBT community’s staunchest advocates, spoke at the March yesterday: I had the honor of meeting
The California Supreme Court has announced they will make the Prop 8 ruling this coming Tuesday, May 26. HRC Backstory has a good analogy about the legal issues under consideration. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has promised equal benefits to same-sex partners of U.S. diplomatic corps employees stationed overseas, according to Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA),
Judy Shepard, mother of murdered student Matthew Shepard, was on The Rachel Maddow Show last night talking about the Hate Crimes bill, aka the Matthew Shepard Act, and about North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx’s statement that to call her son’s murder a hate crime is a “hoax.” No mother should ever have to go through
Ten years ago today, Matthew Shepard was pronounced dead at Poudre Valley Hospital in Wyoming after being severely beaten in a homophobic attack. His parents have since become outspoken advocates for erasing hate. I had the honor of hosting Judy Shepard when she spoke at Merrill Lynch in 2000, back when I was head of
