Medford Church to Host Screening of 'Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine'

MEDFORD, MA – Grace Episcopal Church is joining with the Medford Film Collaborative to host a screening of "Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine" next month.

The moving documentary follows director Michele Josue, a close friend of Matthew Shepard's, as she travels to meaningful locations in his life, speaks to friends and family and gradually learns more about her friend's life and tragic death.

Shepard was brutally beaten by two men, tied to a fence and left to die in a field in Laramie, WY in 1998. His death sparked a dialogue about crimes and intolerance against the LGBT community, eventually leading to the signing of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009.

Grace Episcopal's free screening will be held Nov. 9 from 6:45-9 p.m. The church is located at 160 High St. in Medford.

Photo Credit: Tony Webster from NYC (Laramie, Wyoming) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons