Changes

Since McKinney, Sheppards attacker, was also a homosexual/bisexual, the incident did not meet the legal definition of an "anti-homosexual hate crime", depite erroneous press reports to the contrary.   

Since McKinney, Sheppards attacker, was also a homosexual/bisexual, the incident did not meet the legal definition of an "anti-homosexual hate crime", depite erroneous press reports to the contrary.   

Both Critics of The Laramie Project Play and Movie and fundamental Christian Leaders have commented they feel the play distorts the facts of Matthew Sheppard's life.  One fundamental Christian group, the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka Kansas, picketed Matthew Sheppards Funeral, and have made strong public statements about the treatement of the facts of the murder in The Laramie Project.  They have publicly stated:

Both Critics of The Laramie Project Play and Movie and fundamental Christian Leaders have commented they feel the play distorts the facts of Matthew Sheppard's life.  One fundamental Christian group, the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka Kansas, picketed Matthew Sheppard's Funeral, and have made strong public statements about the treatment of the facts of the murder in The Laramie Project.  They have publicly stated:

 

'' "... The Laramie Project has painted Matthew Sheppard, a confirmed methampetamine user, a hero for getting himself killed while trolling for anonymous homosexual sex and meth in a cowboy bar at midnight.  This is not the stuff of heroism, it is the stuff of idiocy." ''

'' "... The Laramie Project has painted Matthew Sheppard, a confirmed methampetamine user, a hero for getting himself killed while trolling for anonymous homosexual sex and meth in a cowboy bar at midnight.  This is not the stuff of heroism, it is the stuff of idiocy." ''

The Westboro Baptist Church and its congregation are show in an unfavorable light for preaching from the Bible against Homosexuality in their portrayal in The Laramie Project by the producers of both the play and movie.

 

The Westboro Baptist Church and its congregation are depectied in an unfavorable light in the play and movie for preaching from the Bible against Homosexuality.

== Judy Sheppard and the Matthew Sheppard Foundation ==

== Judy Sheppard and the Matthew Sheppard Foundation ==