Opinion by Judy Shepard (June 24, 2022) I wish I had the words to describe how angry, sad, and disappointed I am to hear today’s SCOTUS decision. But I am just numb. It is unconscionable that judges have the right to decide my health care and overturn longstanding precedent, declaring that women are not capable…
Santa Rosa, CA – Out to Protect founder and president Greg Miraglia announced today a new partnership with the Matthew Shepard Foundation to provide hate crimes training for law enforcement throughout the United States. Law enforcement professionals will be able to access training online and learn how to detect, investigate, and document reported hate crimes.…
Opinion by Judy Shepard (Feb. 24, 2022) I am old enough to remember the horrors of the Cold War in the ‘50’s and ’60’s. Although this period of international conflict extended far beyond those years, the crystalized memories of fear are from my childhood. Constant ‘bomb drills’ in school – hiding under our desks or…
The Freedom to Vote Act would have created critical nationwide standards in efforts to eliminate voter suppression and solidify comprehensive voter protections. These provisions would include standards for early voting, voting restoration, voter identification, and voter registration. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would have made illegal any voting rules that discriminate on the…
It was like a sign from the universe. Jonathan Adkins was in the process of planning his holiday giving, when a chance encounter on an airplane helped make his decision. “I’m a big believer in signs,” Jonathan said of his meeting with Judy and Dennis Shepard. He just happened to be seated in the row…
MEDIA RELEASE WASHINGTON — Washington National Cathedral, in partnership with the Matthew Shepard Foundation, today announced that it will open St. Joseph’s Chapel (located inside the Cathedral) to in-person visitors on Wednesday, December 1 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET for the first time since the pandemic started, in honor of the birthday of…
The Matthew Shepard Foundation is excited to announce that Jeff Mack will join the MSF team as Executive Vice President beginning August 31. Jeff will oversee the daily operations of the Foundation and is responsible for the mission-driven management and leadership of the organization. Born in Chugwater, Wyoming, Jeff attended the University of Wyoming where…
“Today’s sentencing hearing for the murderer of George Floyd brings back such profoundly emotional feelings for our family. We have been there – November 1999 when the second of Matt’s murderers was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences, which his conviction required. On that day, prior to sentencing, we were also given the opportunity to…
On May 20, President Biden signed into law the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. The legislation aims to make the reporting of hate crimes more accessible at the local and state levels, while also directing the Department of Justice to designate a point person to expedite the review of hate crimes related to COVID-19 and authorizes…
The following letter of support was sent to Senator Schumer and Senator McConnell on April 14, 2021. Dear Majority Leader Schumer and Minority Leader McConnell: We write to urge the Senate to unanimously confirm Vanita Gupta as Associate Attorney General. We are the parents of Matthew Shepard, and our lives were shattered when Matthew was…