Matt. Just a friend

Student's parents Matthew Shepard, who became a victim of a crime on the basis of hatred for gays, urge Russians to be tolerant

The parents of the American student Matthew Shepard, whose murder in 1998 helped change the federal legislation of the United States regarding crimes on the basis of hatred, visited Russia this week to show a documentary about the tragic life of their son and the struggle for LGBT rights.

Matte's mother, Judy Shepard, hopes that the Russians will listen to the thought that is expressed in the film about her son, that the murder of Matthew Shepard in Wyoming played an important role in preventing crimes on the basis of hatred of LGBT representatives. "Love for your child is the most important thing for parents. To be gay is not a choice. A person does not choose whether he is a heterosexual or homosexual. This is part of his identity. If people understood this fact, then we could advance in our understanding and realize that we should accept and love our children - contrary to anything. would be more safety, ”said Judy Shepard .

On November 25, Dennis and Judy Shepard in Moscow took part in the show of the documentary Matt Shepard: My Friend , in which their son’s life is shown through an interview with friends and family members. The Moscow show was preceded by the prime minister in St. Petersburg at the Boka Open Film Festival, which was attacked this year: first the authorities, due to suspicions of foreign financing, and then those who are intolerant of LGBT (during the opening of the festival, they shouted insults after the coming). But fortunately, both of the films in Russia were not accompanied by any incidents, only on the eve of the St. Petersburg premiere, someone threw a packet with fetid gas into the hall, but this problem was quickly eliminated. According to the organizer of the festival, Guli Sultanova, this reminded her that in the last festival they put sticks in the wheels. “We were both worried that something unforeseen could happen. But then they began to think more about those who came to the show, and not about our own safety,” said Judy Shepard.

Shortly before our appearance in the hall, someone threw a gas bomb, we felt some smell

She said that she knows well about the law adopted in Russia on the ban on the so-called gay propaganda and about homophobic attacks on LGBT activists, which the authorities try not to notice and not punish the guilty. For this reason, she and the director of the film Michelle Josue were ready for the fact that something could happen that would interfere with the show. Their fears were not groundless, because one of the most active opponents of LGBT, the deputy of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg Vitaly Milonov, on the day of the start of the festival stated that the "side of the side" should be closed due to "imposing the Sodem Standards to the Society." He threatened to personally visit the festival to check if the law was violated. Josue, a close friend of Matthew Shepard and the director of the film, said that on the eve of traveling to Russia she had a feeling of anxiety: “Of course, I had concerns. We knew potential risks associated with such events as this festival. But, happiness, everything went smoothly. But someone in the hall threw a gas bomb, we felt some smell, we felt some smell, we felt some smell, we felt some smell. But besides this, nothing bad happened.

Student's parents Matthew Shepard, who became a victim of a crime on the basis of hatred for gays, urge Russians to be tolerant

On the day of death, Matthew Shepard was only 21 years old. Two attackers brutally beat him and tied him to the fence, leaving him to die. Two days later, he died of wounds. The police investigating this case said that Matthew’s killers were mocking him, and the decision to beat him was made due to the fact that he put his hand on his knee one of his acquaintances. The court sentenced both to life imprisonment.

Only 10 years after the incident, in 2009, thanks to activists and the lawmakers supporting them, US President Barack Obama signed under the law, in the name of which there is the name Matthew Shepard. This document has a definition of crime on the basis of hatred, and its wording concerns hatred due to skin color, disability, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.

Everywhere, wherever we come, we hear the same thing

For this reason, mother Matthew and the director of the film rejoiced at the opportunity to talk with the Russians who are faced with problems related to the rejection of LGBT representatives in society. In St. Petersburg, Judy Shepard and Michelle Josue met with a group of parents, mainly mothers, whose children are gays, lesbians or transgender. After this meeting, the student of the student who died in the United States said: “Each story told is universal. There are three types of relations when parents love their child, no matter what, when parents, having overcome rejection, gain love again, and when parents repel their child. Universality is that wherever we come, we hear the same thing. And in the United States we are told in the United States.” To this, Judy Shepard added that she hopes that a documentary about her son will help to increase the tolerance and unconditional love of parents for their children in society.