Judy Shepard gets a Sapphic Kiss

Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew, you are amazing. Thank you for channelling what can only be the greatest grief imaginable into a productive social, cultural, and political campaign. Yesterday, your 11 years of grief, hard labor, and persistence paid off, with the historic passage of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act.

The night that your son was beat and left to die will always stay burned in my memory. I lit a candle for him that night, one of those Catholic candles that burns for a week straight. He died before the candle did, and for millions of us watching, our hearts and souls sank. Thank you for also not just sinking into depression, but rather rising above everyone to work toward productive and loving social change.

In Sapphic love,