Throughout the summer, people across Wyoming will be celebrating the culture and diversity of the LGBTQ community at Pride festivals, picnics and events across the state. Pride Festivals are a lot of fun, but they’re also a reminder that there’s still work to do in regards to LGBTQ equality in Wyoming.
That’s why the ACLU of Wyoming has launched an online advocacy campaign to honor the lives and legacies of LGBTQ Wyomingites who are devoting their time to make this state a better place for their peers.
“According to the Movement Advancement Project, there are nearly 15,000 LGBTQ people living in Wyoming. We’re introducing you to just a few,” said Adam Jorgensen, communications associate for the ACLU of Wyoming. “We hope people are inspired to take action after reading their powerful stories.”
The campaign features Cameron Smith of Cheyenne, Jess Fahlsing of Laramie and Rev. Hannah Roberts Villnave of Cheyenne. Their stories will be told on the ACLU of Wyoming’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts and at https://www.aclu-wy.org/lgbtqa.
In addition to their stories, the campaign also asks people to take action and get involved with the ACLU of Wyoming as it works to protect and promote the rights of LGBTQ Wyomingites.
“Our goal is to ensure that LGBTQ people in Wyoming can live openly without discrimination and enjoy equal rights, personal autonomy, and freedom of expression and association,” Jorgensen said. “There’s no room for hate in this state.”
About the ACLU of Wyoming
The American Civil Liberties Union of Wyoming is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of civil liberties and civil rights. The ACLU of Wyoming is part of a three-state chapter that also includes North Dakota and South Dakota. The team in Wyoming is supported by staff in those states.
The ACLU believes freedoms of press, speech, assembly, and religion, and the rights to due process, equal protection and privacy, are fundamental to a free people. In addition, the ACLU seeks to advance constitutional protections for groups traditionally denied their rights, including people of color, women, and the LGBT communities. The ACLU of Wyoming carries out its work through selective litigation, lobbying at the state and local level, and through public education and awareness of what the Bill of Rights means for the people of Wyoming.
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