On Monday evening, December 2, Washington National Cathedral and the Matthew Shepard Foundation will host a ceremony of inspiration, celebration, and song as we dedicate the Matthew Shepard Memorial Plaque. Elevated by a grassroots, crowd-funded campaign in the weeks following Matthew’s 2018 interment in the Cathedral, the plaque is intended both to honor Matthew’s memory and to serve as a source of strength in the continued journey for LGBTQ+ equality. Gathered again in the Cathedral Nave, speakers and musicians will do the same—highlighting Matthew’s legacy while celebrating ongoing efforts to, as the Matthew Shepard Foundation declares, “envision a future without hate, where understanding and compassion guide us toward an equitable world.”
Our celebration is made possible by a generous donation from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Speakers in sequence:
Welcoming Remarks:
* Dean Randolph M. Hollerith, Washington National Cathedral
* Dennis Shepard, Matthew Shepard Foundation
Performance by:
* Potomac Fever, Gay Men's Chorus of Washington DC
* Brennan Connell, GenOUT; C. Paul Heins, piano
Introduction:
* Dennis Shepard, Matthew Shepard Foundation
Performance by:
* "The Laramie Project" (moments) by Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project
Opening:
* Dean Randolph M. Hollerith, Washington National Cathedral
* Bishop Gene Robinson, IX Bishop of New Hampshire
Performance by:
* Daryl Hunt, Associate Director of Music for Contemporary Worship; Marshall Keys, Cathedral Band
Reflection:
* Judy Shepard, Matthew Shepard Foundation
Dedication of the Plaque:
* Dean Randolph M. Hollerith, Washington National Cathedral
* Bishop Gene Robinson, IX Bishop of New Hampshire
* Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, Episcopal Diocese of Washington
* Dennis Shepard, Matthew Shepard Foundation
* Judy Shepard, Matthew Shepard Foundation
Performance by:
* Mary Lambert
Concluding Wo ...More...
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