Remembering Matthew Shepard: A Legacy of Love, Equality, and Justice

 ❤️🔥No Trolls Allowed 🔥❤️

Matthew Shepard was a name the world didn’t know before 1998. But in October of that year, his tragic death became a catalyst for change, a rallying cry for justice, and a symbol of hope for the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.

Matthew was just 21 years old, a college student at the University of Wyoming. By all accounts, he was a kind and compassionate young man who dreamed of making a difference in the world. But on October 6, 1998, Matthew was lured from a bar by two men under false pretenses, brutally beaten, tied to a fence in a remote area, and left to die. His injuries were so severe that he passed away six days later, on October 12.

Matthew's murder wasn’t just a tragedy—it was a hate crime. He was targeted because he was gay. The brutality of the attack and the senselessness of his death shook the nation and the world. For many, it was a wake-up call to the pervasive violence and discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ individuals.

The Legacy of Matthew Shepard

In the wake of his death, Matthew’s parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard, turned their unimaginable grief into action. They founded the Matthew Shepard Foundation, an organization dedicated to erasing hate by promoting understanding, compassion, and advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights.

One of the most significant milestones in Matthew’s legacy was the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009. This landmark legislation expanded federal hate crime laws to include protections for individuals targeted because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. It was a hard-fought victory, more than a decade in the making, and it underscored the importance of continuing to fight for equality and justice.

Why Matthew’s Story Still Matters

Matthew Shepard’s story is not just about one young man. It’s a story about the dangers of hate, the power of love, and the urgent need for a society that values diversity and equality. His death forced conversations about LGBTQ+ rights and hate crimes into the mainstream, and those conversations are still vital today.

In a world where many LGBTQ+ individuals still face discrimination, violence, and inequality, Matthew’s legacy reminds us that we must remain vigilant. His story inspires us to build a society where love triumphs over hate, where understanding replaces ignorance, and where everyone has the right to live and love without fear.

How We Can Honor Matthew

Honoring Matthew Shepard means more than remembering his story—it means taking action. Support organizations like the Matthew Shepard Foundation that work tirelessly to promote LGBTQ+ rights and combat hate. Educate yourself and others about the impact of discrimination. Stand up against hate speech and prejudice in your community.

Matthew’s life was cut tragically short, but his legacy continues to shine as a beacon of hope and change. As we remember him, let us recommit ourselves to building a world where no one is targeted for who they are or who they love.

In Matthew’s memory, let’s stand together against hate. Let’s choose love.

If this post resonated with you, share it to spread Matthew's story and the ongoing fight for equality. Together, we can honor his legacy and work toward a more compassionate world.

Tedtalks Day 2- Edward Snowden & lots more

Blog post by Tina Winterlik © 2014
zipolita@gmail.com
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So it was the amazing Tedtalk. I arrived just before 8:30 am at the Vancouver Public Library. There were only 3 people there when I first arrived but then more arrived..slowly.

The first person was
Bran Ferren-Technology designer  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bran_Ferren
I found his speech very interesting, as he talked about being a young child and being raised by artists. Yet he didn't want to be one, instead he found taking things apart and putting them back together much more interesting. Reminds me of my brother, he was always taking clocks and things apart. Anyways, when Bran Ferren was a child they would travel and often just take him to a science museum and drop him off and let him wander and learn and explore for hours. When he was nine they went to the Pantheon   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheon,_Rome.

He said he was intrigued by this wonderously cool dark building with a hole in the roof. It is called an oculus. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he started to see more and more, like the holes in the floor to the let the water drain when it rains...but it was the roof that amazed him. He questioned his  father  when the roof was built. He was shocked to learn that people were so intelligent 2000 years before. He being just nine years of age had been to the Pyramids the year before and he figured that with money, and brute force and labourers available, even he could build the pyramids, but this roof blew him away.

"The Pantheon dome. The concrete for the coffered dome was poured in moulds, probably mounted on temporary scaffolding. The oculus is the main source of natural light." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheon,_Rome


He said it took 5 miracles to build this roof, and he went into a lot of detail...which I am too tired to share at this moment but it was really interesting. He figures that  Autonomous http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_car  
are the future and gave reasons why. I'm not sure I like the idea. I don't want any cars. It feels to IRobot to me.



I think the most important thing I took away is that we have to teach our kids to get off the screens and learn about the world around them and to teach the to explore, play, discover and that even they if the do not want to be like us, embrace them and support them in what ever they chose.  Powerful wise words. 

So next was -Marc Kushner-Architect-http://hwkn.com/MARC-KUSHNER  
"MARC KUSHNER, AIA, is cofounder of award-winning architecture firm HollwichKushner (HWKN) and CEO of Architizer.com - the largest platform for architecture online. Both as a practicing architect, and in his role at Architizer, Marc is focused on making architecture more relevant and accessible."

 Check out his website- Very Cool!!
You can tweet him on twitter https://twitter.com/marchitizer


 Now he is a very interesting man. He talked about how social media has really affected how architecture is created.

He talks about the brutal era http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brutalist_architecture   and how everything was cement. The coolest thing he showed was this building he called ugly. It was created with hay and then cement was poured on it and then a cow was invited to eat all the hay and what was left was this little cave with the most gorgeous view of a sunset in Spain.

Guggenheim-Bilbao

 He talked about the http://www.guggenheim.org/bilbao  
and how somehow people seeing it and sharing it shaped and changed the way architecture is built.

That because it created tourism, every mayor wanted one...but the point he was making it was architects know how to create incredible works but that people would stick to old ideas because it's expensive and they were scared to try new things.

He wants every one to know that architects want to build fantastic buildings and they are ready and now with Social Media we are ready. So hopefully he and many others will build lots of green buildings. :)  Like the green buildings I pinned on my Pinterest board- The Changerz. 

http://www.pinterest.com/zipolita/the-changerz/
  

•  
  Yoruba Richen Documentary filmmaker
  "In her documentary films, Yoruba Richen unites African-American, feminist and LGBTQ voices in a renewed cry for civil rights for all."

  promisedlandfilm.com
  @redrubes14

Yoruba was very interesting. She talked about the civil rights movement and the gay rights movement. How they were moving in tandem and pointed out the really important events that helped progress things but then where it had major set backs too.  She mentioned Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela but pointed important  dates when Gay Rights had made strides with the help of  Latinos/Africa Americans and how they have worked together in the past and they need to be united...because these Human Rights - http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

She made a movie about it  called the newblack http://www.newblackfilm.com/filmmakers/


"The New Black is a documentary that tells the story of how the African-American community is grappling with the gay rights issue in light of the recent gay marriage movement and the fight over civil rights. The film documents activists, families and clergy on both sides of the campaign to legalize gay marriage and examines homophobia in the black community’s institutional pillar—the black church and reveals the Christian right wing’s strategy of exploiting this phenomenon in order to pursue an anti-gay political agenda."

"The New Black is a documentary

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 And this happened, they said Edward Snowden was there, and I was like "no way!!" And he came out on a bot. Blew me away. If you care about your rights, if you care about the internet then listen up because this affects ALL OF US!!

"Appearing by telepresence robot, Edward Snowden speaks at TED2014 about surveillance and Internet freedom. The right to data privacy, he suggests, is not a partisan issue, but requires a fundamental rethink of the role of the internet in our lives — and the laws that protect it. "Your rights matter,” he say, "because you never know when you're going to need them." Chris Anderson interviews, with special guest Tim Berners-Lee".