Judy Shepard is de moeder van Matthew Shepard, wiens tragische moord een spraakmakende zaak werd die haatmisdrijven tegen LGBT-personen belichtte. Samen met haar man Dennis richtte ze de Matthew Shepard Foundation op. Als toegewijde voorvechter van LGBT-rechten wordt haar werk gedreven door diep persoonlijk verlies en een streven naar gelijkheid en veiligheid voor iedereen.
Describes the author's struggle to cope with the loss of her son, discussing first-hand the days immediately following his murder in 1998, including the incredible response from strangers, navigating the legal system, and why she became a gay rights activist
The mother of Matthew Shepard shares her story about her son's death and the choice she made to become an international gay rights activist. Today, the name Matthew Shepard is synonymous with gay rights, but before his grisly murder in 1998, Matthew was simply her son. For the first time in book form, Judy Shepard speaks about her loss, sharing memories of Matthew, their life as a typical American family, and the pivotal event that changed everything. The book follows the Shepard family in the days after the crime, when their incapacitated son was on life support; how they learned of the response from strangers all across America who held candlelit vigils and memorial services for their child; and finally, how they struggled to navigate the legal system as Matthew's murderers were on trial. It not only captures the historical significance and civil rights issues, but it also chronicles one ordinary woman's struggle to cope with the unthinkable.--From publisher description