他们的组织 “马修·谢泼德基金会”（Matthew Shepard Foundation）资助教育和宣传活动，鼓励讨论性倾向和性别问题。讲述马修的故事的舞台剧“拉勒米项目”(The Laramie Project) 就是其中一种讨论的途径。

谢泼德夫妇还与国会议员和政治活动家一起努力了十年多，将美国联邦仇恨犯罪法覆盖的范围扩大，包括了以受害人实际或被认为的性别、性倾向、性别认同或残疾为动机的犯罪。【请参见变性者是人类多样性的体现以及残障人士为争取权益攀爬国会大厦石阶】

美国总统奥巴马（Obama）在2009年签署了《马修·谢泼德和小詹姆斯·伯德仇恨犯罪预防法》(Matthew Shepard and James Byrd J. Hate Crimes Prevent Act)，马修的父母也出席了签字仪式。这项法案同时也以另一位在1998年被白人至上主义者拖行致死的非洲裔美国人命名。【请见欧巴马总统的英文讲话全文】

1998年在签署法案时，奥巴马总统说，仇恨犯罪的目标是将恐惧植入整个社区、而不仅仅是一个受害者的心中。该法律对那些因为受害者的身份或个人特征而将其当作侵害对象的罪犯施予更严厉的惩罚。

奥巴马总统说：“我们必须坚决反对那些不仅企图造成身体伤害，而且企图造成精神伤害的犯罪那些——不仅造成伤害，而且灌输恐惧的罪行。如果我们不保护宪法赋予每位公民的权利，使其不受不公正的法律和暴力行为的侵害，那么这些权利就是空谈。”

Their gay son was tortured and left to die. Now his parents fight for justice.

On October 6, 1998, 21-year-old Matthew Shepard accepted a ride from two men in Wyoming who led the young gay-rights advocate to believe they were also gay. Instead, they robbed him, brutally beat him and left him tied to a wooden fence in near-freezing temperatures. After six days in a coma, Matthew died.

Following that tragic loss, his parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard, began to campaign for gay rights and against the kind of hatred and bigotry that killed their son.

Their organization, the Matthew Shepard Foundation, funds education and outreach to encourage discussion of sexual orientation and gender issues. One discussion vehicle is the play The Laramie Project, which tells Matthew’s story.

The Shepards also worked with lawmakers and political activists for more than 10 years for legislation that expanded U.S. federal hate-crimes law to include crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

Matthew’s parents joined President Obama at the 2009 signing of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which is also named for an African-American man who was dragged to death by white supremacists in 1998.

At the signing, Obama said hate crimes aim to put fear into the heart of an entire community, not just one victim. The law imposes tougher penalties on criminals who target their victims because of the victim’s identity or personal characteristics.

“We must stand against crimes that are meant not only to break bones, but to break spirits — not only to inflict harm, but to instill fear,” the president said. “The rights afforded every citizen under our Constitution mean nothing if we do not protect those rights — both from unjust laws and violent acts.”