The Sarasota World Affairs Council (SWAC) has announced that Judy and Dennis Shepard, parents of the late Matthew Shepard, will provide the introduction to SWAC's April 5 lecture, which features Iranian LGBTQ+ activist Arsham Parsi. The event will take place at New College at 6:30 p.m. in the Sanier Pavilion.

Parsi lives in exile in Toronto, Canada where he founded and operates the International Railroad for Queer Refugees (IRQR), an organization which provides essential support to LGBTQ+ persons in Iran and, increasingly, throughout the Middle East.  The organization has assisted more than 2,000 people in achieving life-saving asylum status outside Iran. Parsi fled Iran in 2005 due to Iranian government efforts to locate and arrest him.  Through the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees, Parsi obtained asylum in Canada.

Seating is limited. To RSVP for the lecture, email [email protected] or call (941) 487-4603.