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September 21, 2014
A Note from Dennis Shepard
Dear Friend,
Two
years ago, people in America whispered about high profile athletes –
both male and female – and questioned their sexual orientation. Not one
amateur or professional athlete, still active in his or her sport, would
admit to being anything other than the norm – the straight,
toe-the-line, focused-on-winning “jock.”
 Then
came a stunning announcement in 2013. Jason Collins became the first
American athlete still active in professional sports to publicly come
out as gay. He was both toasted and roasted by the general public and
the media. His courage and desire to live an authentic life, not hidden
away in the shadows, provided public discussion and created an
atmosphere of acceptance and respect that has allowed others, both
athletes and non-athletes, both straight and gay, to more easily
acknowledge that everyone is different and that those differences should
be celebrated and not shunned.
Judy
and I have had the good fortune to spend some private time with Jason.
What an incredible young man. Life just bubbles out of him. The fact
that his uniform number was #98, in memory of the year that Matt died,
makes our time with him more special. It amazes me that Matt’s story
still resonates in this country and around the world and that it
continues to have a profound impact on people such as Jason.
Now
it’s Jason’s turn to help carry the torch higher and farther. His
charisma, his warmth, his smile, combined with his Stanford University
background, gracious manners, and patience with others, make him the
perfect person to represent sports. His courage, knowing that he would
be in the public eye, that his past, his present, and his future actions
would always impact the LGBT community, has made it so much easier for
other athletes to come out. His desire to live a normal life with
someone he loves helps spotlight the topic of equal rights for all
Americans, regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression.
Because
of Jason’s stand, others have also found the courage to be themselves
and to focus 100% on their sport, their future careers, and their lives –
not on wasting precious time and energy pretending to be someone else.
Additionally, they are receiving public acceptance and support from
their teammates!
There
are many beneficiaries of Jason’s courage – soon-to-be-wed couple
Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson (both of the WNBA), Derrick Gordon
(University of Massachusetts basketball), Michael Sam (NFL), Chip
Sarafin (Arizona State
University football), and countless other young athletes who want nothing more than
to play their sport and live an authentic life.
.
I’m so pleased that Jason will be honored this October in Denver at our Foundation’s annual gala and fundraiser.
It’s a small way for the Matthew Shepard Foundation to say thanks for
being himself, for pushing the envelope, and for giving hope to so many
young people in this country. I can’t wait to see him and to do what I
do best – give him a Dad hug! Matt would be pleased with both Jason’s
recognition and with my hug.
All the best,
Dennis ShepardComing Out Asexual: A New Series on MatthewsPlace.com
When Stormy O’Brink reached out to MatthewsPlace.com to share her story – we just had to hear more.
 Stormy
wanted to talk about asexuality and the asexual community. The young
writer, with journalism and public relations training, gave us all an
introduction with her personal story. Thanks to Stormy’s compelling
story, we have been able to add more about asexuality to
MatthewsPlace.com with the special Ace Talk: Asexuality Uncovered
series.
MatthewsPlace.com
launched in 2007 as a safe space where young LGBTQ people could find
resources regardless of where they lived. It was an online community
center for those who didn’t live near a brick-and-mortar center and a
place of support for those who didn’t feel like they could go to a
physical center. Visitors to Matthew’s Place could find people who were
like them and get resources for coming out, starting a gay- straight
alliance, or just read personal stories from other LGBTQ people.
Now,
seven years after its launch, Matthew’s Place is continuing to provide
content and resources for a broad spectrum of gender and sexual
minorities.
"Not Alone: The Power of Response"
The
historic outpouring of sympathy over Matthew Shepard’s vicious 1998
murder was captured in the thousands of letters sent to Dennis and Judy
Shepard. This fall, a powerful and evocative exhibit capturing the most
poignant of these messages will begin touring the country.
 “Not
Alone: The Power of Response” is an archive of dozens of these letters
shaped into a traveling exhibit to educate the public.
Ford’s
Theatre created the original “Not Alone” exhibit for its 2013 Lincoln
Legacy Project, centered on a production of the play The Laramie
Project. A Ford’s team traveled to Wyoming and made representative
selections to compose the installation.
The
letter-writers came from all walks of life: political and religious
leaders, mothers, teachers, even school-age children who sent drawings.
They express grief, outrage, heart- wrenching personal stories, and
calls to action.
Now
the D.C. show is reborn as a traveling exhibition, allowing these
letters to be shared nationwide. Exhibition Curator Heather Hoagland has
chosen pieces embodying three ideas: Embrace Empathy, Take
Responsibility, and Take Action.
Learn more about the exhibit and where you will see it debut in the Fall Newsletter. MSF Targets Hate Crime Reporting
Despite
a federal law, hate crimes are still vastly under-reported. And the
Matthew Shepard Foundation wants to do something about it.
Progress
was made when President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd
Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law in 2009 – creating stiffer
penalties for crimes targeting actual or perceived gender, sexual
orientation, gender identity, or disability. There’s still work to be
done because it’s voluntary for law enforcement agencies to report hate
crimes to the FBI.
Numerous
cities nationwide including Baton Rouge, La., Eugene, Ore., Houston and
Kansas City, Kan. just didn’t even bother filing a report with the FBI
in 2012.
 Judy
and Dennis Shepard worked tirelessly for years to get the federal act
passed with good reason. Wyoming, where Matt was attacked, didn’t
consider LGBT people a protected class. James Byrd Jr., a black man, was
dragged behind a truck by two white supremacists and then decapitated
in Texas, which had no hate crimes protections whatsoever. These two
cases illustrate why the federal act was needed, but now we see that
more needs to be done.
In
the coming months, the Matthew Shepard Foundation plans to unveil a new
program targeting hate crime reporting that will help the federal law
bearing Matt’s name expand its reach. The Foundation plans to leverage
our unique position to take action to correct under-reporting and
non-reporting agencies.
Meet the Staff:
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I’m
Brennan Johnson. I have had the pleasure of being with the Foundation
for over a year. As events assistant, I handle the logistics of the
Foundation’s events and make sure everything runs smoothly from start to
finish. Like the rest of the MSF staff, I hold our mission to Erase
Hate close to my heart and am honored to be part of the progress made
for equality.
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