Judy Shepard will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Judy Shepard, the longtime LGBTQ+ activist and mother of anti-gay hate crime victim Matthew Shepard, will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Shepard will receive the award, the U.S.’s highest civilian honor, from President Joe Biden at the White House today along with 19 other recipients, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former Vice President Al Gore, journalist and talk show host Phil Donahue, and Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh.

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President Joe Biden issues statement in remembrance of Matthew Shepard

“Matthew’s tragic and senseless murder shook the conscience of the American people.”

“These nineteen Americans built teams, coalitions, movements, organizations, and businesses that shaped America for the better. They are the pinnacle of leadership in their fields. They consistently demonstrated over their careers the power of community, hard work, and service,” the White House said in a statement this morning. 

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Shepard has been fighting for LGBTQ+ rights for over 20 years. She and her husband, Dennis, were propelled to the forefront of the movement after their son Matthew was brutally beaten and left for dead in an act of horrific anti-gay violence that drew national headlines in 1998. Together, the Shepards founded the Matthew Shepard Foundation, which runs education, outreach, and advocacy programs to combat anti-LGBTQ+ hate. Judy Shepard served as the foundation’s executive director from 1999 to 2009 and continues to serve as its president and chair of its board.

“Her work has driven tremendous progress in our fight to give hate no safe harbor,” the White House said of Shepard in its Friday announcement.

“This unexpected honor has been very humbling for me, Dennis, and our family,” Shepard said in a statement. “What makes us proud is knowing our President and our nation share our lifelong commitment to making this world a safer, more loving, more respectful, and more peaceful place for everyone.”

“If I had the power to change one thing, I can only dream of the example that Matt’s life and purpose would have shown, had he lived. This honor reminds the world that his life, and every life, is precious.”

Today’s ceremony marks the second time Biden has handed out the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is bestowed on “individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors.” Out soccer star and LGBTQ+ advocate Megan Rapinoe was among Biden’s last group of honorees in 2022.

Past LGBTQ+ recipients have included tennis champion Billie Jean King, comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, and playwright Tennessee Williams. President Barack Obama also bestowed posthumous awards upon activist Harvey Milk in 2009 and Bayard Rustin in 2013.

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