Matthew Shepard’s mother stresses acceptance during Pleasantville discussion

On October 2nd, ten days before the fourth anniversary of her son's death, Judy Shepard spoke to a packed auditorium at Pace's Pleasantville campus about the hate crime that led to the murder of her 21 year-old son Matthew. The presentation began with a short movie detailing several other instances of hate crimes that have taken place in the US over the last several years, including that of James Byrd, the Texas man dragged to death by members of a white supremacist group in June of 1998. Judy Shepard then took the stage. Motherly, soft-spoken, and at times funny despite the sobering subject matter, Shepard began her presentation by talking about Matthew, the elder of her two children, as a child.

Shepard spoke of her son’s "big heartedness," about the day Matthew declared his sexual orientation, as well as and the acceptance that she and her husband continually gave to Matthew. She then discussed the night she and her husband, who at the time were working in Saudi Arabia, received a call in the middle of the night regarding their son’s beating. Matthew was in a coma. He died four days later. He was a target of an anti-gay hate crime.

Instead of focusing on the grisly details of his beating, Shepard instead spoke about the kind of hate and ignorance that lead to an environment where this could happen. She stressed the need for gay people who are not "out" to be so and also about the idea of looking at someone as if they are a person that is gay, not simply as a "gay person," but that "judging someone before knowing them is a loss of an opportunity."

After the presentation, a reception was held with Shepard for faculty and students who have been permitted to participate. Shepard was available for comments and questions.

The large contingent of Pace NYC campus’ students that made the two-hour trip to Pleasantville to see the presentation were for the most part very pleased. As Pace student and Stonewall Coalition Co-President Jessica Andrepont stated, "[the presentation] was an amazing and much needed experience for all students, especially those who have had to deal with issues of diversity."

Anyone interested in obtaining more information about hate crimes or the foundation that has been set up by the Shepard’s in Matthew's name can visit www.mattshepard.org.