Vote For Matthew Shepard

Matthew Shepard's mom, Judy, is speaking at colleges around the country asking students to get out and vote on November 7th. She is handing out buttons with a picture of her son Matthew that say, "Vote For Me on November 7th".

After Matthew's death in 1998, Judy founded the Matthew Shepard Foundation. She has been working to pass hate crime legislation in states across the country. She speaks at colleges and events on a regular basis.

A recent edition of Bay Windows included a full page ad from the Matthew Shepard Foundation. The ad says, "Hate stole my right to vote 8 years ago. Don't waste your right to vote on November 7th".

She decided to start a Get-Out-The-Vote campaign aimed at young voters because they tend to be more accepting of gay and lesbians. In an interview she said that "Matt was passionate about politics and voting, so it seemed like a natural fit".

At Chicago's Roosevelt University Judy asked the students, "What happened to the days when we questioned authority? You don't yell. You don't scream. You should be just mad -- mad, mad, mad."