JUDY SHEPARD LAUNCHES THE ‘CAMPAIGN TO ERASE HATE’ AT THE MATTHEW SHEPARD FOUNDATION’S ANNUAL GALA

Denver , CO - In observance of the ten years since the murder of University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard, the Matthew Shepard Foundation launched an aggressive anti-hate campaign aimed at creating a movement of people working to lessen the impact of hate in society. Realizing the importance of this 10th year observance, Judy Shepard, Executive Director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, launched the ‘Campaign to Erase Hate’ by asking the crowd of more than 500 people to raise themselves to the power of ten and join with her in helping the Foundation fulfill its mission of erasing hate.

The overall goal of this new campaign is to equip individuals with the necessary tools to discuss and address hate in our society. These tools include personal webpages, resources on dealing with hateful speech and actions, monthly correspondence and most importantly, a way to invite ten others to join.

“We are starting a movement of people dedicated to erasing hate from our schools, workplaces, and communities. For the last ten years, individuals have been raising themselves to do amazing things with no resources. What we are trying to do is give this great work a structure and create a community of individuals who are using their voices and talents to address these issues.” Said Judy Shepard.

Campaign messaging will focus on ways for individuals to raise themselves to the power of ten with a special emphasis on engaging youth. Over the course of the coming year, the Matthew Shepard Foundation will be concentrating its efforts on providing young people with a voice and the resources needed to live a healthy and hate-free life. The ‘Campaign to Erase Hate’ will utilize MatthewsPlace.com, a youth-designed website launched by the Foundation last fall, to involve young people in the campaign. Plans include working with various social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, to tap into the growing trends of on how young people communicate with each other.

The Matthew Shepard Foundation was founded by Judy, Dennis, and Logan Shepard in memory of 21-year-old Matthew, who was murdered in an anti-gay hate crime in Wyoming in October 1998. Since that time ten years ago, the family and the Foundation have received thousands of emails and letters from people sharing their stories on what they are doing to help in the mission to “Replace Hate with Understanding, Compassion & Acceptance”.

“The philosophy of the campaign is to start with individuals in the community who can put a face on the impact of hate. Then, if those people engage ten of their friends who then engage ten of their friends, we will quickly reach our goal of changing the hearts and minds of one million people. Your voice is the most powerful tool in erasing hate.” Said Shepard.

The Matthew Shepard Foundation is dedicated to 'Erasing Hate' through education, advocacy and awareness. The Foundation is the voice for inclusive hate crimes legislation and works to empower and ensure the safety of gay, transgender and allied youth. For more information, please visit www.MatthewShepard.org and http://www.matthewsplace.com/

The Campaign to Erase Hate is a program of the Matthew Shepard Foundation. It models the principles that were core to the beliefs and aspirations of Matthew Shepard. To join the campaign, visit www.MatthewShepard.org/CampaignToEraseHate