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Gay rights activist Judy Shepard will speak on “The Legacy of Matthew Shepard” 7 p.m. Wednesday in Colton Chapel and attend a reception at the Farinon Center Atrium 9 p.m.
Her son, Matthew Shepard, was a gay student attending University of Wyoming when he was found brutally beaten and tied to a fence. He was in a coma for four days before dying. His murder launched a new crusade to increase the punishment for hate crimes and refueled the gay rights movement.
Judy Shepard will talk about how her son’s death changed her life and discuss diversity and tolerance of homosexuality. She speaks at colleges to raise money for the gay rights movement.
“It will be an enlightening experience as she shows the strength and courage of a mother who took one of the most negative and tragic incidents in her life and turned it into a positive foundation called the Matthew Shepard Foundation,” state organizers.
The event is sponsored by the student groups Questioning Established Sexual Taboos, Association of Lafayette Feminists, Students for Social Justice, Lafayette Activities Forum, and Delta Upsilon fraternity; the English department and the women’s studies and American studies programs; and Lafayette Intercultural Networking Council, the Counseling Center, and the Office of Residence Life.