Matt Shepard Is A Friend Of Mine

It has taken me years to finally sit down and watch this documentary about Matthew Shepard. And even then, it was difficult to watch. Not because it’s a bad documentary! But because it’s about a tragedy that affects me harder than most. You see, Laramie, Wyoming is my hometown. So when “Matt Shepard Is A Friend Of Mine” starts off by recapping his murder, it hit home. Thankfully, rather than being another news documentary that covered the incident or the aftermath, this queer documentary focuses more on Matt himself. This angle was actually refreshing to watch: getting to know Matt through his classmates, friends, and family.

But even through these personal recollections, I knew that they couldn’t ignore the crime and aftermath. The documentary was harder to watch during this segment, but I appreciated that they kept the focus on others telling the story – and how it impacted themselves. It’s not just a news recap. So while this queer documentary was difficult for me to watch, I still strongly encourage everyone to watch it. Not only because Matthew Shepard’s murder shocked the world, and is key part of our queer history. But because it’s actually a good queer documentary.