Dennis Shepard
Dennis Shepard | |
|---|---|
| File:Dennis Shepard visit to Sweden December 2013 (11221087796-cropped).jpg Shepard during his visit to Sweden in December 2013 | |
| Born | November 1954 (age 71) |
| Alma mater | University of Wyoming |
| Occupation | Oil industry safety engineer |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Matthew Shepard (1976–1998) Logan Shepard (b. 1981) |
.jpg){kind=link}
Dennis Shepard (born November 1954) is the father of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old student at University of Wyoming who was murdered in October 1998 in what became one of the most high-profile hate crimes against LGBTQ people in the United States. He and his wife, Judy Shepard, are co-founders of the Matthew Shepard Foundation,[1] and advocate for LGBT rights. He has been an advocate for parental support of LGBT children both during Matthew's life and, very publicly, since Matthew's death. He and Judy continue to live and work in Casper.[2]
Personal life
[edit | edit source]Born in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, Shepard earned a degree in education from the University of Wyoming before marrying Judy in 1973 and moving to Casper, Wyoming, in 1976. While they have also resided in Saudi Arabia, they have since returned to Casper, where they currently work and reside.[2][3] Dennis is the father of two sons, Matthew Wayne Shepard (1976–1998) and Logan Shepard (born 1981).[4][5]
Career
[edit | edit source]Shepard was an oil industry safety engineer,[6] Dennis worked for more than 16 years in safety operations for Saudi Aramco in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, before retiring from that position in 2009.[2]
Advocacy
[edit | edit source]He has served on the Matthew Shepard Foundation board of directors since the organization's inception and currently speaks to audiences around the country, particularly to victims' advocacy organizations and law enforcement audiences about his experiences and the importance of equal treatment of LGBT crime victims and their loved ones.[2][7] On March 20, 2007, the Matthew Shepard Act (H.R. 1592), a bill which would expand federal hate crimes legislation to include sexual orientation, was introduced as federal bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Congress, sponsored by Democrat John Conyers with 171 co-sponsors. Dennis and his wife, Judy, were present at the introduction ceremony. That bill did not pass however, after then-President George W. Bush threatened to veto the bill if it passed. On October 22, 2009, the United States Congress passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and on October 28, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law.[8][9]
Dennis and his wife Judy announced Wyoming's votes in the roll call at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.[10]
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b c d Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
[edit | edit source]
Lua error in mw.title.lua at line 392: bad argument #2 to 'title.new' (unrecognized namespace name 'Portal').
Lua error in Module:Authority_control at line 153: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).