year, when the parents were presented with the idea of interring their son there, they felt it was the perfect fit. Matthew Shepard had served as an acolyte in his local Episcopal church, a place where he always felt really safe, said Judy Shepard, who also taught Sunday school in the church. Gro
While their son was still in the hospital, the Shepards began receiving scores of letters from families everywhere. Some asked the Shepards to reach out to parents who had rejected their children for being gay, Judy Shepard said.
We thought Matts story would go the way of all tragic stories, everyones really interested in it in the beginning, and maybe the middle and perhaps a few at the end, Judy Shepard said. I dont think either one of us thought that it would last beyond a couple of years.
The ultimate goal of establishing the foundation was always being able to shut our doors because we werent needed, Judy Shepard said. Ahead of the 2016 election, they planned to start shifting their mission, focusing on their sons legacy rather than advocacy against hate crimes.
While the Shepards do travel the country speaking to young people, they find themselves focusing their message more so on their own generation, which was taught the myth, not the truth, about the LGBT community, Judy Shepard said.
hen there was one possession that the Shepards had never seen before: a wedding ring in a box. The parents dont know the story behind the ring, but it reminded Judy Shepard of a conversation she had with her son in August of 1998, when Hawaii was considering the legalization of same-sex marriage.
The family didnt want to create a place that would draw unwanted attention from people who hated what Matt represented, Judy Shepard said. We were waiting to find the right solution, and the right solution appeared."
