Matthew Shepard Foundation Newsletter | Summer 2016
Coming soon! Traveling letters exhibit, “Not Alone: The Power of Response” The Matthew Shepard Foundation is excited to announce a new and more accessible version of our Traveling Letters Exhibit, “Not Alone: The Power of Response”. This exhibit is a collection of replica letters the Shepard family received from LGBTQ+ people, allies, children and politicians from all over the world in the wake of the attack on Matt’s life. Very similar to our original Letters Exhibit, curator Heather Hoagland of Ford’s Theater is creating a version that can more easily travel and be a part of productions of The Laramie Project and other events across the country to add depth and real-life voices to Matt’s story and the cultural response in 1998. For more information on this powerful exhibit: Contact Susan Burk at Susan@MatthewShepard.org or 303.830.7400 ext. 17 This exhibition was originally created by Ford’s Theatre Society, Washington, DC and Split Rock Studios, MN, as part of The Lincoln Legacy Project, Fall 2013.
Marking Milestones with the Matthew Shepard Foundation
On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States legalized marriage equality nationwide. Because of this historic ruling, same-sex couples from all 50 states are now able to marry. In the year since marriage equality became law, we’ve had several supporters turn their weddings into opportunities to Erase Hate.
By Jon Terry & Jonathan Schmugge “When Jonathan and I decided to get married, we realized there was nothing we really needed. Instead, we asked our guests to donate to our favorite organizations, with the Matthew Shepard Foundation being one of them. “In 1993 I was the president of the Oregon Gay and Lesbian Law Association, where I worked on the Hawaii Supreme Court case (Baehr v. Miike, originally Baehr v. Lewin) that challenged the state’s prohibition of same-sex marriage. It took us another 22 years, but in June of last year we finally saw marriage equality become a reality. Never in my lifetime did I think I’d see that happen — I remember tears of joy streaming down my face that day. “It was truly a magical day, and now Jonathan and I are able to celebrate our own. We want to make a difference in this world, and supporting all the Foundation does is part of being able to make that difference. We couldn’t think of a better way to make our wedding even more special than to support the Foundation’s vital mission to Erase Hate.”
Jon Terry and Jonathan Schmugge married on May 28, 2016, at the Denver Botanic Gardens. They currently reside in Golden, Colorado.
Do you have an upcoming graduation, wedding, anniversary, birthday or other milestone? Create your own online campaign to bring your friends and loved ones together to support the work of the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Visit MatthewShepard.org/Give
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