The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed
Publisher
Hudson Street Press
Publication Year
2009
ISBN
9781594630576
Pages
273 pages
Genre
memoir
Format
full length
Item Type
Nonfiction
Annotation
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.
Grade Level
9-12
Diversity Topics
Family Relationships; LGBTQ (Gender and Sexuality); Family member death; Gay/Lesbian; death of a son; gay; gay adult
Main Character
adult female
Race/Ethnicities
White
Family Formation
mother and father
LGBTQ+
gay male
Keywords
college life; murder; hate crime; gay rights activist; trial; hospitalization; life support; mother's love
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
Shepard, Judy, "The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed" (2009). Diverse Families. 1424.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/1424