Judy Shepard asked AU students at a Kennedy Political Union event Monday to join her in advancing the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans who live in areas of the country that are not as accepting of the GLBT community as D.C.
Two men killed her son, Matthew, almost 10 years ago because of his sexual orientation.
"We cannot forget our brothers and sisters around the nation who do not have this protective bubble, where you feel safe most of the time," Shepard said. "Call your congressmen and your senators ... and let them know what you think, what they need to know to make things right, to make sure that equality is across the board, and not just for a privileged few."
Shepard serves as the executive director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, whose mission is to educate others on the importance of peaceful coexistence in a society of diversity. Her appearance served as part of AU's celebration of National Coming Out Week.
Sara Bendoraitis, the director of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Ally Resource Center, said Shepard helped AU's GLBT and ally students become more aware of their power as individuals to advance GLBT rights across the nation and to advocate for themselves.
"Her whole speech about using your voice is so important," she said. "Whether it's telling your own story or coming out to your parents or just having a conversation around these topics ... it's so important that you have an opinion and that you express it."
Voting for candidates and policies that advance GLBT rights is an obligation of all Americans who can vote, Shepard said. People can also further GLBT rights by talking with politicians and making them more aware of the struggles and stories of GLBT Americans.
"I can guarantee you that no 65-year-old straight white male is going to understand the problems of a lesbian couple unless they talk to him," she said. "It's not because he is unwelcoming or biased or in any way a bigot; it's because he's ignorant. The largest enemy we face is ignorance."
Political and social change that increases the rights of gay American across the nation can only occur with the active support of the majority of straight Americans, Shepard said.
She said the increased successes of the black Civil Rights Movement after white Americans heavily augmented their support shows the power of majorities to help minorities achieve greater freedoms in the United States.
Shepard's appearance demonstrates the impact straight Americans can have on advancing the rights of GLBT Americans, said Matthew Stewart, a freshman in the School of International Service and a student worker at the GLBTA Resource Center.
"Judy Shepard is such an amazing advocate for our community as an ally," he said. "She helps people who are not GLBT to connect to our community, to understand what we feel and what we go through every day. She's a straight mother from Wyoming, and it's good to have that perspective."
The GLBTA Resource Center, Queers and Allies and the United Methodist Student Association cosponsored the event with KPU.
National Coming Out Week continues with a Safe Space Sticker training session on Friday from 2 to 5 p.m.
You can reach this staff writer at hperlman@theeaglonline.com.
