PACE film festival to host Judy Shepard
On Oct. 8, 1998, Judy and Dennis Shepard were awakened in the night by a phone call that would change their lives forever.
Their son, Matthew, had been found beaten nearly to death and tied to a fence on the Wyoming prairie. Days later, he died in a hospital but has become the face of one of the nation’s most vicious, notorious anti-gay hate crimes.
Judy has since become a nationwide activist speaking to audiences about ways they can make their schools and communities safer for everyone, regardless of race, sex, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. Judy will bring her message to Shreveport this month as the special guest for the North Louisiana Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.
“We felt Judy Shepard’s message to replace hate with understanding, compassion and acceptance was a great message to remind everyone we are all humans who want to be loved and accepted in society,” Gary McCollister, chairman for the festival, said. “While we have made progress over the last few years, we need to continue to move forward until everyone is equal in society. No one should live their life in fear but be themselves and accepted for who they are by others.”
McCollister is also the vice president of People Acting for Change and Equality, a nonprofit that works to advance equality in Northwest Louisiana so that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community can lead open, honest, responsible and safe lives at home and in the workplace. The film festival is a direct response from PACE, and as it moves into its sixth year, the committee believes this may be the strongest year yet.
“This is the first film festival we have brought in someone with a social message rather than a movie, film or TV star,” McCollister said. “Judy Shepard has taken an anti-gay hate crime that took her son’s life and put a voice to his death to become an activist for safer schools and communities for everyone.”
The first Gay & Lesbian Film Festival in 2009 featured celebrity guest Leslie Jordan and has since included John Waters, Bruce Vilanch, Margaret Cho and Del Shores.
The weeklong film festival will run Sept. 5-11 at the Robinson Film Center in downtown Shreveport. Judy Shepard will appear opening night at the film’s reception from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and will conduct a Q&A following the 7:45 p.m. film “Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine.” On Saturday, Shepard will give a free public talk “The Legacy of Matthew Shepard” in the Whited Room at Centenary College.
The mission of the film festival is to recognize the contributions LGBTQ have made and to educate the public by raising awareness of gay and lesbian concerns, as well as effect change in the political arena. The festival also investigates the history of LGBTQ in film, including stereotyping.
“Gay and lesbian stereotyping in film has been going on for decades,” said Brad Campbell, film selection chairman. “Growing up, I was always aware of gay characters in films, but they were never the heroes. They were usually the villains or strictly used as comic relief. Where were the gay and lesbian role models?” Campbell said when selecting the films to represent during the festival, he and his committee look at the following: film quality, genuine performances, local appeal, current issues, cinematography and social relevance. The festival has fostered conversations in the public arena, which have led to changes in public policy, including Shreveport’s Employment Non-Discrimination Act.
After working with Mayor Cedric Glover’s office for two years on an employment nondiscrimination executive order covering sexual orientation and gender identity for city of Shreveport workers, it was finally issued after a Shreveport city councilman’s actions against the Robinson Film Center for allowing the film festival to be held there in 2009. This led to a strong response from PACE, the RFC and Shreveport’s film industry, and on Dec. 17, 2009, the mayor issued the ENDA adding sexual orientation, gender identity and disability to the city of Shreveport’s employment nondiscrimination policies. Shreveport City Council followed with a matching resolution, Dec. 21, 2009.
Since then, Shreveport-Bossier’s LGBTQ community has continuously made advancements with the most recently established Be Fair Shreveport.
“Because of the awareness raised by the two-year Be Fair Shreveport campaign conducted jointly by PACE and the statewide organization Forum for Equality, local civic, political and business leaders realized that for reasons of both fairness and economic development, it was important for Shreveport to send the message to businesses and educated, skilled and high-tech workers that Shreveport is a city that is welcoming to everyone who wants to come here, work hard, contribute to our civic life and build a good life for themselves and for their families,” said Adrienne Critcher, political director for PACE. “The Shreveport Fairness Ordinance was passed in December 2013. Six months later, the Shreveport City Council created the Greater Shreveport Human Relations Commission to provide an enforcement mechanism for the Fairness Ordinance and to also provide education to local businesses about nondiscrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations.”
Go to www.pacelouisiana.org or www.nlglff.org.
–Derick Jones
