Today’s Good News: “Erase Hate” Campaign Engages Youth

The Matthew Shepard Foundation has an ambitious goal for its new “Erase Hate” campaign: to equip a million people with tools to raise their voices, and use their talents, against hate. They plan to work in schools, workplaces, and communities, with a special emphasis on youth.

“You’ve got to be taught/Before it’s too late/Before you are 6 or 7 or 8/To hate all the people/Your relatives hate…” The Matthew Shepard Foundation hopes to get to young people early so they can live “healthy and hate-free,” unlike  the imagined kids in the “South Pacific” song.  They’ve created their own website about it, Matthewsplace.com, and are linking up with Myspace, Facebook, etc.  Habbo.com, a teen-targeted virtual world, is partnering with them to educate their members through discussions about a range of issues including bullying, discrimination and hate. Beginning July 7, the Foundation will lead discussions twice a week in Habbo.com’s InfoBus, a virtual room designed as a safe environment for teens to discuss issues.

Hard to believe it’s been ten years since Matthew Shepard was murdered in an anti-gay hate crime.  I’m glad his parents are working to make sure others don’t meet the same fate.

Filed by Karen on July 4th, 2008 under Grassroots Organizing, Youth