Judy Shepard Visits ECU

The mother of a man who was murdered because he was gay, drew hundreds at East Carolina University Thursday night.
She came to help students celebrate Hate Out Week.
Judy Sheppard has been an activist for gay and lesbian rights, since the murder of her son Matthew a decade ago.
Shepard says educating people on tolerance happens best, when she speaks like a young person instead of like a mom.
She is in the east as part of Hate Out Week, she told the students the only way to end discrimination was to get the idea of tolerance to the grass roots.   
“Young people were afraid they were very afraid,” said Judy Shepard.  “They understood what happened to Matt might as easily happen to them.  But now they understand they are denied rights they should have and there’s this sense of empowerment and sometimes even anger that they’re being denied or their friends and family are denied, basic civil rights.  That’s a big change.“
A Cultural Cabaret at the Fletcher Music Hall tomorrow night at 7pm will be the last event of East Carolina.