Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and HRC President Joe Solmonese speak at a press conference on soon-to-be-passed hate crimes legislation.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuldELb9KDs[/youtube]

We had the good fortune yesterday to meet Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard, at a “meet and greet” here in San Francisco for the Matthew Shepard Foundation. She is a extraordinarily kind and brave woman who deserves all our thoughts this Mothers Day.

I would encourage everyone who is able to donate to her Foundation which is doing wonderful work in fighting hate and promoting LGBT equality.

State Senator Mike Leno, Top Chef contestant Jennifer Biesty and local entertainer Donna Sachet were also in attendance. A few snapshots from the event are below.

A full thirteen days after Rep. Virginia Fox testified that the anti-gay motive behind Matthew Shepard’s murder was a hoax, and that his death was being used advance hate crimes legislation, the Republican Congresswoman from North Carolina sent a letter of “apology” to Matthew’s mother Judy Shepard who was in attendance during her remarks. Let’s remind ourselves what Foxx said…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWm2zGTZBM0[/youtube]

Foxx’s written apology comes after multiple days of backtracking and damage control as her offices struggled with the flood of criticism received because of her remarks.

The Matthew Shepard Foundation has confirmed receipt of the letter but has refused to comment on it, choosing instead to focus on  getting the hate crimes legislation passed.

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx has issued another statement regarding her hoax comment about Matthew Shepard’s murder.

From WXII12 News:

“In the heat of trying to handle the rule on the floor, anybody can use a bad choice of words. Saying that the event was a hoax was a poor choice of words,” Foxx said. “I’ve apologized for that. I never meant in any way to harm the family or offend the family or anybody else for that matter.”

…

“It is very unfortunate that these calls have come in. I would say 99 percent of them are from outside the district and it is unfortunate that people have taken this position,” she said.

Foxx sent a letter of apology to Shepard’s mother, who was present when the comments were made. On Thursday, Judy Shepard reacted to Foxx’s comments. “She’s apologizing for semantics,” Judy Shepard said.

“What I hope my constituents know is that I’m in Washington ever day that I’m required to be there, working hard for them, doing the best to make sure that the federal government doesn’t take away their rights and their money,” Foxx said, when asked how she would respond to her constituents.

Hat tip to New Civil Rights Movement for breaking the story and his cogent response.