Newsfeed
Printer-Friendly ModeAcceptance to highlight Shepard's lecture
January 23, 2006 —
The mother of a man murdered in an anti-gay hate crime will be on campus to speak to students, staff, and members of the community on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
Judy Shepard, whose son, Matthew, was killed in Laramie, Wyoming in October 1998, will speak at 7 p.m. in the Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts.
The lecture, titled "Judy Shepard: Tragedy and the Consequences of Hate," is sponsored by several on-campus and off-campus organizations as part of a collaborative effort to promote diversity.
"Everyone's on board for this," says Gay Straight Alliance President Aaron Brown. "It's not just a GSA event."
Shepard is slated to discuss the threat of hate crimes to society and her hope that people will be accepted for who they are as people regardless of any other factors such as race, religion or sexual orientation.
"She's not just a person who talks about the Gay and Lesbian community," Brown says.
Brown also believes that it is no coincidence that Shepard's appearance occurs on the first day of Black History month and on the heels of the campus' Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. Shepard's message promotes acceptance and understanding that despite differences, everyone has similarities as well.
"It's about all minorities," Brown says, "and how we all can hopefully one day come together and overcome this prejudice and bigotry that we all face in daily life."
Organizations sponsoring Judy shepard's appearance include GSA, SA, The Office of Student Services and Enrollment Management, The Student Life Center, The College of Arts and Behavioral Sciences, The Office of Residential Life, The Saginaw Area Democratic Club, Perceptions and PFLAG Tri-Cities.
All members of the surrounding communities are encouraged to attend Shepard's lecture as well, in hopes that her difficult experiences can impact all who get the opportunity to hear them.
"One thing I definitely hope she leaves behind is the impression of our similarities," Brown says. "Having people react and respond and open up their minds and think that we are all the same.