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The internet was in its infancy back then and the email crush crashed the hospital鈥檚 servers, Shepard recalled.

Most of the messages were for Judy and her husband, Dennis, from people who wanted the couple to share their story of accepting and supporting their 21-year-old gay son, who lay dying after an attack prompted by his sexuality.

Most of the emails had a similar plea to the couple: As 鈥渁ccepting parents,鈥� please share your story to inspire families with gay children to accept them 鈥渂ecause they still have them and you don鈥檛,鈥� Judy Shepard recalled.

Before the year was out, the Shepards and their younger son, Logan, founded the to promote human dignity for all through outreach, advocacy and education programs.

鈥淲e felt, the three of us, that we could do this for Matt,鈥� Judy Shepard said. 鈥淲e owed this to Matt and his friends and his peers to try and make a difference.鈥�

The Shepards have traveled the world on behalf of the foundation to speak with law enforcement, educators and young people about their son and what he represented.

鈥淏y talking about Matt, we鈥檙e actually trying to represent and talk about all of the marginalized communities that don鈥檛 have all the equal rights and they face so much injustice and discrimination around the country,鈥� Dennis Shepard said. 鈥淪o we鈥檙e fighting for all the kids.鈥�

The Shepards will bring that discussion to the University of Arizona in Tucson on Oct. 19 for 鈥淢atthew Shepard鈥檚 Legacy: Then and Now鈥� in the UA鈥檚 Gallagher Theater. Tucson mother and son Lizette and Daniel Trujillo, local trans activists, will be part of the free panel discussion that starts at 7 p.m.

The panel discussion is part of the 鈥榮 presentation of 鈥淭he Laramie Project,鈥� 鈥榮 verbatim play based on 200 interviews with residents of Laramie, Wyoming, where Matthew Shepard was killed.

The play opens on Oct. 12, the 25th anniversary of Matthew Shepard鈥檚 death, and runs through Oct. 22 at the UA Tornabene Theatre, with a preview on Oct. 7.

As the Shepards mark that somber 25th anniversary, they say their work is far from over. Far-right politicians nationwide have taken aim recently at the trans community, focusing largely on youths.

鈥淚 think that the extreme right-wing religious folks and political folks, they have a moment in time that they can achieve that, but it is a moment in time,鈥� Judy Shepard said. 鈥淏ut I also think they understand they have lost the war. ... I think in the long run, people are tired of the hate.鈥�

鈥淭he young people, they realize now, after 2020 and 2022, they have power,鈥� Dennis Shepard added. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 give a rat鈥檚 who鈥檚 holding whose hand. They are more concerned with gun violence, climate change, what they鈥檙e going to do when they get out of school for a job. They are going to make the change.鈥�

In addition to the panel discussion, the Shepards plan to be in the UA audience on Oct. 20 for 鈥淭he Laramie Project鈥� and will participate in a post-show discussion.

Judy Shepard said they have seen the play dozens of times and every time when they get to the scene where Dennis makes his victim impact statement at Aaron McKinney鈥檚 sentencing, she loses it.

鈥淚 end up right back in that courtroom that day,鈥� she said, her voice breaking into a sob.

McKinney and Russell Henderson were convicted of murder in Matthew Shepard鈥檚 killing and are serving two life terms.

That courtroom scene takes Dennis Shepard back to the phone call he received the day their son was found near death in a field and taken to a hospital with severe head trauma. The couple was living in Saudi Arabia, where Dennis Shepard worked, and the trip home took 45 hours.

鈥淲e had a lot of time to think about our son and worry if he was going to make it or not because we didn鈥檛 know until we got to the hospital and actually saw him,鈥� Dennis Shepard said.

Matthew Shepard died of his injuries four days after his parents arrived at his bedside.