I saw Judy Shepard (Mother of Matthew Shepard) speak tonight and it absolutely blew me away. I cried for the first half hour pretty steadily as well as laughed and really thought deeply not just about how I'm treated as a member of a community that's discriminated against and often hated, but also I thought about the way I speak and the way that I think and how I could be adding to this hatred instead of really helping get rid of it. Have any of you guys heard her speak at all? What did you think? I think my favorite part of it was the very last story she told at the end about the Cherokee grandfather* *the Cherokee story can be found here
I know! She came to my school in October and it was just such an amazing speech. I asked a question and I dunno if it was cuz I was in front of so many or just because I was in front of her, but I broke down even though I'd told me coming out to parents story a million times. Just the impact she has on you I guess.
I highly recommend Judy Shepard's book "The Meaning of Matthew". Very powerful and moving. Amazon.com: The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed (9781594630576): Judy Shepard: Books
Whilst I haven't heard her speak or am aware of Judy Shepard in general, I am aware of what happened to her poor son and the horrific death he suffered from the hands of the twats that murdered him. Good to see that even after it all, Judy is managing to make an impact on people everywhere.
