Matt Shepard is a ACES Pillars Film Friend of Mine: Project Elizabeth Margo Logan Becca Summary ● death affected the nation and helped pave way for rights. were not able to see. In the end, we learn of death Matt and aftermath how his the people in his life were shown movie and they described of Matt that we treated in America. In the beginning, we are shown story of Matt’s childhood. Some death in sparked a national revolution that changed the way gays were Shepard. Matt Shepard was an openly gay man that murdered in October of 1998. His Mine of a Friend is Shepard Matt is a documentary that follows the life and death of Matt Background ● ● ● ● ● Matt home from a pub and lured him into their car. On October 6, 1998 Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson followed He went to the . he belonged. He struggled with depression, identity, and finding a place he felt like He attended a boarding school in Switzerland. Shepard and brother Logan Shepard. Matt Shepard was born in Fort Collins, to Judy and Dennis ○ ○ to die. They ended up binding him to a fence, beating him, and leaving While on a trip to Morocco, he was raped. Positive Social Change ● ● and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act Matt’s death ignited a push for revised legislation ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ damage for they stem from prejudice and lead to more psychological Based on the idea that hate crimes are a heightened form of crime Provided more funding for hate crime investigation identity, or disability” religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender Criminalizes acts “committed because of the actual or perceived Signed by Obama in 2009 orientation were not considered hate crimes in Wyoming At the time of attack, crimes committed due to sexual Advocacy ● ● Matthew Shepard Foundation the forefront of this cause. opportunity to advocate for LGBTQ youth rights, with at Although Matt’s death was a tragedy, it gave his parents the ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Coming out resources LGBTQ blog Hate crime reporting initiative Judy and travel hold speaking engagements understanding, compassion and acceptance” Mission statement: “ Founded in December 1998 to erase hate by replacing it with

Community caring, and kind he was. fellow loved one, celebrating the positive aspects of his life and how selfless, ● ● ● candlelight vigils in memory of Matt. Churches and communities across the world held community as they came together and protested hate crime. The tragic loss of this kind hearted, selfless boy united the LGBTQ Matt’s family and close friends came together in grief after losing their Service ● they are also able to help within their community. community and teach others about the foundation how and do things like host housing parties to engage within their The Matthew Shepard Foundation allows people to volunteer Social Change ● ● ● national legal right to same-sex marriage from 2015. advancements in the movement for gay rights such as As the film was made in 2014, it does not address recent memory of the past. outdated today, but they give us a sense of nostalgia and character of Matt Shepard. Family videos are slightly The film uses lots of home video footage to display the and discrimination. that has started to openly discuss the issues of hate crimes us were being born. We have been able to grow up in a society Killed in 1998, Matt died around the same time that many of The film was made in 2014. in made was film The Connection to the Film ● ● ● ● forget to relax and enjoy life which is so We are so caught up in college and our daily routines that we may dreams can be taken away from us. accomplish something, and the movie shows how quickly our was bigger than Casper, Wyoming. We are all in college to Matt had affects us (family, friends from home). experienced a change in the . We can relate by likely recently having Matt initially had a fear of rejection from his family due to for hate and crime. comprehend a place where someone who is different target In college, surrounded by so much dreams and goals from a young age, and he knew that support systems diversity precious and fragile , it is difficult for us to in our life and how it . Critiques ● ● ● personable approach to the topic. to the injustices faced by LGBTQ community through a more That being said, the film ultimately does a good job bringing attention and rights relating to the gay movement. Although made in 2014, the film did not discuss more recent laws Shepard Foundation and what it does to help others. The film failed to give much explanation of the creation Matthew Who would benefit from watching? ● a documentary shows how people of all backgrounds come together for people come together in order to get justice for Matt. This only tells the tragic death of Matt Shepard, but it also shows how would benefit the most be gay community. This movie not So many people can benefit from this movie, but the one audience that common goal . -Matt’s Mother Call for Action ● “Be understanding and accepting of people who are different” are who people of accepting and understanding “Be ● ● ● ● ● Silver lining family Cherish friends and Mercy Embrace diversity End hate

Trailer: Film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vSY7dW0CJs

Sources ● ● ● ● ● https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2014/07/23/op-ed-why-gay-panic-defense-must-go 09-0 https://www.justice.gov/crt/matthew-shepard-and-james-byrd-jr-hate-crimes-prevention-act-20 http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/19/us/lgbt-rights-milestones-fast-facts/index.html https://www.matthewshepard.org/about-us/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard