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Friday, October 12, 2007
NINE
YEARS
AGO,
my
son
Matthew
was
left
to
die
after
being
brutally
beaten
simply
for
being
gay.
Not
a
day
goes
by
that
I
don’t
think
about
Matt
—
his
spirit,
his
passion
for
people,
his
smile
and
his
wonderful
hugs.
He
was
my
friend,
my
confidant
—
someone
who
saw
the
beauty
of
difference
and
the
best
in
all
people.
Dennis,
our
son
Logan
and
I
miss
and
love
him
deeply
but
know
that
his
legacy
will
continue.
And
on
this,
the
ninth
anniversary
of
his
passing,
I
find
nothing
more
fitting
to
continue
Matt’s
legacy
than
to
elevate
the
discussion
about
the
real
issues
facing
LGBTQQ
youth
in
our
country
and
to
launch
MatthewsPlace.com
—
a
new
web
resource
designed
specifically
for
and
with
youth.
Helping
lesbian,
gay,
bisexual,
transgender,
queer
and
questioning
(LGBTQQ)
young
people
lead
healthy,
productive,
hate-free
lives
has
been
a
core
value
of
the
Matthew
Shepard
Foundation
from
the
beginning.
MatthewsPlace.com
was
created
to
embody
that
value.
With
tremendous
input
and
feedback
from
young
people
throughout
its
development,
we’re
confident
that
MatthewsPlace.com
will
be
a
virtual
home
for
LGBTQQ
youth.
It
is
relevant
and
valuable
to
the
experiences
of
LGBTQQ
youth
in
all
parts
of
our
country
—
from
the
coasts
to
Middle
America.
Since
Matt’s
death
and
the
creation
of
the
Matthew
Shepard
Foundation,
I
have
been
traveling,
speaking
to
and
meeting
young
people
across
the
country.
Many
of
these
young
people
—
gay
and
straight
—
have
reached
out
to
me
to
share
their
stories
about
the
pain
and
hurt
of
being
teased,
harassed
and
mistreated
by
their
peers,
community
and
sometimes
their
family
members
for
being
who
they
are.
While
it
is
critical
for
me
to
remind
them
that
they
are
valued
and
that
they
matter
—
it
is
even
more
important
for
these
young
people
to
actually
be
able
to
live
and
grow
up
in
communities
feeling
welcomed,
accepted,
and
safe
every
day.
LGBTQQ
KIDS
ARE
being
forced
to
the
streets
at
alarming
rates.
It
is
estimated
that
between
20
and
40
percent
of
all
homeless
youth
identify
as
LGBTQQ.
In
some
urban
areas,
the
estimates
are
even
higher.
One
study
estimated
that
half
of
homeless
youth
in
central
Manhattan
are
lesbian
or
gay
and
another
estimated
that
40
percent
of
homeless
youth
in
Seattle
are
lesbian
or
gay.
Regardless
of
the
specific
number,
it
is
unacceptable
for
one
youth
to
be
forced
to
the
streets
for
any
reason
—
especially
for
being
who
they
are.
As
a
parent
of
a
gay
child,
I
find
this
appalling.
How
can
any
parent
hurt
or
denigrate
their
child
for
any
reason,
let
alone
for
being
who
they
are.
My
son
was
taken
from
me
because
two
men
learned
to
hate.
I
certainly
cannot
imagine
losing
him
by
choice.
Our
children
need
and
deserve
better
from
us.
At
the
same
time,
safe
and
inclusive
direct-service
providers
and
homeless
shelters
are
continually
strapped
for
resources,
funds
and
volunteers.
Many
youth-serving
professionals
—
from
New
York
and
Los
Angeles
to
Iowa
and
Michigan
—
are
helping
our
youth
survive,
helping
them
get
off
the
streets,
providing
them
with
a
bed,
a
warm
meal
or
simply
a
friendly
face
and
a
safe
place
to
belong.
They
are
doing
this
with
nearly
no
support
from
our
government
and
very
little
from
our
own
community.
I
am
not
shocked
that
our
current
president
and
his
administration
would
turn
a
blind-eye
to
this
problem.
But
I
am
disappointed
that
our
own
community
hasn’t
stepped
up
to
address
this
problem.
As
a
community,
how
can
we
let
this
continue?
OUR
COMMUNITY
HAS
a
responsibility
to
take
immediate
action.
I
call
on
all
of
us
to
act
today.
We
must
support
our
lesbian,
gay,
bisexual,
transgender,
queer
and
questioning
youth.
We
must
talk
to
our
friends
and
family
about
the
reality
facing
these
young
people.
We
must
support
the
organizations
and
providers
helping
our
youth
with
our
volunteer
time
and
financial
resources.
But
most
importantly,
mothers
and
fathers
must
go
home
and
hug
their
kids
—
tell
them
that
they
love
them
for
who
they
are
—
every
single
day.
Today,
I
invite
you
to
MatthewsPlace.com
and
to
share
the
resource
with
young
people
in
your
life.
Helping
and
supporting
our
youth
is
a
conversation
we
cannot
afford
not
to
have.
It
is
already
too
late
for
many
of
our
young
people,
but
it’s
my
hope
that
it’s
not
too
late
for
the
next
generation.
As
a
community,
our
responsibilities
are
clear.
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