Wyoming School Bans, Then Un-Bans, Rainbow Flags

McCormick Junior High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming

Earlier this month,  I reported on an incident at McCormick Junior High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where homophobic and racist flyers appeared in the hallways of the school.

Students discovered flyers which read, “It’s great to be straight. It’s not OK to be gay. Black lives matter only because if it weren’t for them who would pick our cotton.”

“Join the kkk,” concluded the message, which appeared to be signed by “the confederate kid club.” 

After Kaycee Cook, a substitute teacher and co-sponsor of the school’s gay/straight alliance, reported the flyers she was later notified that she’d been fired by Principal Jeff Conine.

Since then, Laramie County School District 1 Superintendent Boyd Brown announced that he had identified at least one student believed to be responsible for creating the racist and anti-gay flyers, and that Cook was likely to be reinstated at the school.

But wait - there’s more!

Last Wednesday, 20-25 students who are members of the GSA were called out of class to a meeting with three faculty members who told them they could no longer post any rainbow flags, wear any rainbow clothing or anything LGBTQ-related.

According to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Ashlynn Kercher, an 8th grade member of the GSA, said, “They told us it was a school distraction and ‘You don’t want to make other people feel like you felt when you saw the posters.’”

The students were reportedly told that if they break the ‘no rainbow/LGBTQ paraphernalia’ rule they will be written up on dress code infractions, and possibly suspended.

Principal Conine told the Tribune Eagle he didn’t know anything about the meeting taking place and that he had not decided to ban anything.

But Ashlynn’s mother, Abby Kercher, spoke to the district’s Title IX coordinator, John Below, who reportedly told her he and the principal had decided to ban the flags and clothing.

On Thursday, the School District issued a statementwhich read, in part:

“Because of the provocative use of flags, especially under the current controversy at the local junior high, the District will not allow the display of confederate flags on District property or at District events. Further, the District will review potential policies or regulations regarding the disruptive use of flags and symbols within the District.”

You’ll note the statement does not say the district is banning rainbow flags.

Superintendent Brown clarified the next day that rainbow flags were not being banned“as long as students do not use them to incite other students.”

(Source: Wyoming Tribune Eagle)

Teacher Fired For Reporting Homophobic/Racist Flyers At School

(image via Twitter)

During the last week of March, homophobic and racist flyers began to appear throughout the hallways of McCormick Junior High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

According to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, the flyers read, “It’s great to be straight. It’s not OK to be gay. Black lives matter only because if it weren’t for them who would pick our cotton.”

“Join the kkk,” concluded the message, which seemed to be signed by “the confederate kid club.”

#hideous

When the flyers were brought to the attention of Kaycee Cook, a substitute teacher and co-sponsor of the school’s gay/straight alliance, she contacted Wyoming Equality. The advocacy group works to protect LGBTQ people in the state.

The executive director for Wyoming Equality, Sara Burlingame, told the press that she had heard about the flyers from several members of the community.

“This is unacceptable,” she said in a statement to Queerty. “It does not reflect the values of Cheyenne. We’re not going tolerate this. And we’re going to show up and support our LGBT youth and our black youth with unwavering pride and support.”

Even the mayor of Cheyenne, Marian Orr, got wind of the flyers and tweeted her support to Cheyenne youth writing, “Tonight, my heart is the heaviest it’s been since taking office. This is not right. To the youth in our community: You are loved. You are valued. We need you to take us forward. You are Cheyenne.”

Tonight, my heart is the heaviest it’s been since taking office. This is not right. To the youth in our community: You are loved. You are valued. We need you to take us forward. You are Cheyenne. https://t.co/NSvk0MRkKv

— Mayor Marian Orr (@gofishwyo) March 28, 2019

When the Wyoming Tribune Eagle contacted Principal Jeff Conine about the flyers, he seemed to downplay the issue saying there were only two flyers found and that they were removed before the school day began.

But others, including Kaycee Cook, told the Eagle that the flyers were “all over the school.”

In fact, anti-LGBTQ bullying has been reported for weeks at the school with little done to tamp down the hate.

Some students say they stopped going to the school’s GSA meetings because a group of boys began verbally harassing and bullying the members of the group.

One student who preferred to remain anonymous said the boys openly called themselves racists and homophobes.

There are even reports of teachers calling same-sex students holding hands “disgusting.”

Cook says she’s taken the issue to supervisors for weeks without any results.

Here's where it really gets messed up, though.

On March 27, Cook received an email from Principal Conine firing her.

(image via Wyoming News)

“I am notifying you that due to incidents that have occurred at McCormick you are no longer welcome as a guest or a substitute teacher in our building,” read the email.

Cook told the press she believes Conine’s actions were in retaliation for contacting Wyoming Equality.

The Laramie County School District 1 issued a statement about the debacle, which read:

“In the midst of an investigation regarding inappropriate flyers that were posted at McCormick Junior High yesterday, (LCSD1) is offering support to our LGBTQ and black students who were reportedly targeted through the incident.”

When contacted by the Eagle, Principal Conine told reporters he wasn’t prepared to make a statement about the email.

Since last week, at least one of the student's responsible for the hateful flyers has been identified. LCSD1 Superintendent Boyd Brown told Wyoming News that the student would be "disciplined in line with district policy."

Additionally, it looks like Cook's dismissal will be reversed and she should be reinstated at the school soon.

What a debacle.

Podcast: Children Of Gay Parents, Trump On HIV, West Virginia & Wyoming

In this week's podcast:

• Donald Trump says he wants to eliminate the HIV epidemic within 10 years

• A state senator in Wyoming compared being gay to bestiality when she met with LGBTQ youth

• A new study indicates children raised by same-sex parents do better in school

• And, for the first time ever, a Disney character ever says the words “I’m gay”

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

Wyoming Lawmaker Compares Being Gay To Bestiality While Meeting With LGBT High School Students

Wyoming state Sen. Lynn Hutchings

Wyoming Equality shares this disturbing encounter high school students had with state Sen. Lynn Hutchings.

On Friday, February 1st, Wyoming Equality, the state’s only statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization, hosted its bi-annual Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Civics Day where students from GSA clubs across Wyoming are invited to learn about state government and civic engagement.

Students from Central High School, accompanied by their club sponsor and high school teacher, went to visit their representative for their district, Senator Lynn Hutchings.

The students wanted to discuss HB 230, Enhancing Quality Employment Law, and express their support for the bill.

The legislation would prohibit "discriminatory practices based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment practices."

Meeting with the children in the gallery of the state legislature, Hutchings said she was unfamiliar with the bill’s language so the students shared that they wanted her support because the bill would protect the students from workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Hutchings's response, per Wyoming Equality, was to compare being gay or lesbian with bestiality and pedophilia:

“If my sexual orientation was to have sex with all of the men in there and I had sex with all of the women in there and then they brought their children and I had sex with all of them and then brought their dogs in and I had sex with them, should I be protected for my sexual orientation?”

Wyoming Equality issued this statement regarding Hutching's behavior with the high school students calling her language "unacceptable and inexcusable":

It is our understanding that while the state legislature’s anti-harassment policy mentions no protected classes, including sexual orientation and gender identity, Senator Hutchings behavior was unacceptable and inexcusable. Fourteen- and fifteen-year old high school students wishing to engage with the legislative process should ​not​ have been confronted with the comments made by Senator Hutchings. ​Those students, some of which identify as LGBTQ, were deeply hurt and disturbed that they were compared to acts of beastiality and pedophilia. The students’ sentiment was exacerbated especially after Senator Hutchings hypothetically recounted the idea of sexually engaging with children then physically engaged with the students.

At Wyoming Equality, we are horrified. On GSA Civics Day, we expect students to be challenged and engage in lively civic dialogue. This is not what transpired. As guaranteed by the First Amendment, Senator Hutchings may express her beliefs and views however she wishes, but her behavior is not what we expect of adults in the workplace, and we expect even more from a Wyoming elected official. The students spoke with several legislators that day. For the exception of the incident with Senator Hutchings, the students said all their interactions with legislators were civil and respectful no matter where the legislators stood on bills and issues.

The mayor of Cheyenne denounced Hutchings behavior:

Shame on you, Sen Hutchings. We deserve better. Our youth deserve better. Bestiality is equivalent to being gay? Really? https://t.co/eb7euuPnOl

— Mayor Marian Orr (@gofishwyo) February 9, 2019

(h/t JoeMyGod)

Wyoming Towns Hold First Ever Pride Celebrations Nearly 20 Years After Matthew Shepard's Death

Almost 20 years after the violent murder of Matthew Shepard, Wyoming towns Laramie and Casper both held their first Pride events just a week apart.

The first Casper Pride celebration was held from June 8-11 and included a free film festival, "Pride in the Park" festival, a drag revue (held at straight bar Backwards Distilling Co. as there are no gay bars within 50 miles of Casper), and yes, a Pride march on the same day as millions of Americans observed the Equality March in Washington, D.C.

Just a week later, 115 miles down the road, Laramie also held its first Pridefest on June 23-24.

Speaking to Wyoming Public Media, Pridefest organizer Robert West called the event a "momentous occasion."

“There is still this perception Wyoming represents what happened 20 years ago with Matthew Shepard. And I think Laramie and Wyoming have a long ways to go to be fully inclusive and accepting of LGBT people, but it’s important that this Pridefest is happening in Laramie to show that there has been movement; there has been growth,” West said.

“While this is a great time to celebrate with our potluck in the park and our drag show and our dance night, those are great events and they’re definitely important, it’s also important to know where we come from. And to know that violence against queer bodies and LGBT people is a still a huge reality not only in Wyoming and America but across the world,” said West.

What an amazing #Pride weekend! #CasperPride was absolutely amazing, and my friends made it all the better! Looking forward to next year's events! 😍😍😍

A post shared by Robin Cecelia (@mayorrobin) on Jun 11, 2017 at 11:31pm PDT

(h/t NewNowNext)

Wyoming Lawmakers Withdraw "License To Discriminate" Bill

Last week, I reported on newly introduced legislation in Wyoming titled "The Government Non-discrimination Act" that would legalize the right to discriminate against LGBTs by anyone who declared a "deeply held religious belief."

At the time, the ACLU of Wyoming protested, issuing a statement which read in part, "The Government Discrimination Act’s effects would be significant and immediate. Laramie’s Non-Discrimination Ordinance would be unenforceable, and potentially even illegal. No other city would be allowed to enact non-discrimination protections. County clerks would be allowed to deny same-sex couples a marriage license, and would be able to do so without consequence."

Today, House Bill 135 was recalled by the bill's sponsors.

From The Wyoming Tribune-Eagle:

The action was in order to “give Wyoming citizens time for more thorough consideration,” the bill’s sponsors said in a statement emailed to media members Thursday afternoon. Supporters of House Bill 135 said it would protect the “free exercise of religious beliefs and moral convictions,” while critics said it would let people use those beliefs to discriminate against LGBT people.

“The intention of this bill has always been to hold Wyoming to the highest standard in terms of equal protection under the law,” Rep. Cheri Steinmetz, R-Lingle [photo], said in a news release. “The religious freedoms guaranteed to each and every one of us are the bedrock on which our Constitution is founded. When these unalienable rights are threatened, so too is every other constitutional right we enjoy.”

“I’m overjoyed,” said Sara Burlingame of Wyoming Equality, a group that advocates for LGBT people. “The vast majority of folks saw this bill for what it was and rejected it outright.” Burlingame said the bill would have allowed people, including government officials, to refuse service to LGBT people based on religious beliefs. She said the bill would have also been an “economic disaster” for Wyoming.

Podcast: Troye Sivan, Anti-LGBT Legislation In Wyoming & Texas, Trump Inauguration And LGBTs Scrubbed From White House Website

Take a listen to the latest The Randy Report podcast, including these stories and more:

• Minutes after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, all information regarding LGBTs disappeared from the White House website. Hmm....

• Attendance at Donald Trump's inaugural was dwarfed by the Women's March on Washington the next day as hundreds of thousands marched in support for not only women's rights but LGBT rights, civil rights, voting rights and more. And the Trumpster was not happy.

• The Texas state Supreme Court has agreed to hear an anti-LGBT hate group's challenge to spousal benefits for same-sex couples.

• New legislation introduced in Wyoming ("The Equality State") would legalize discrimination against same-sex couples and transgender people, and would make it impossible for any branch or part of the government to enact or enforce local non-discrimination ordinances and federal protections for the LGBT community.

• Out Music: Troye Sivan released his video for “Heaven,” from his Blue Neighbourhood album - a sensual black & white vision featuring intimate shots of Sivan along side clips of important moments in the LGBTQ rights movement.

Laramie City Council Approves LGBT Protections 17 Years After Matthew Shepard's Death

Seventeen years after the murder of Matthew Shepard, the Laramie City Council has approved, by a vote of 7-2, an anti-discrimination ordinance that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, employment and access to public facilities such as restaurants.

Local organizers focused their efforts on Laramie after the Legislature repeatedly rejected anti-discrimination bills, most recently early this year. The Laramie Nondiscrimination Task Force presented a draft ordinance to the City Council last summer. Jeran Artery, head of the group Wyoming Equality which has lobbied for the anti-discrimination measures at the state Legislature, said he was thrilled with the council vote.

Judy Shepard, Matt Shepard's mother, is active in a Denver-based foundation that bears her son's name and focuses on equality issues. "I'm thrilled that Laramie's doing it, at the same time sort of saddened that the state of Wyoming can't see fit to do that as well," Shepard told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Wednesday before the council vote from Washington, D.C. "Maybe the rest of Wyoming will understand this is about fellow human beings and not something that's other than what they are."

The state legislature has repeatedly failed to pass similar state-wide protections for LGBTs.

Wyoming: House Legislators Vote Down LGBT Anti-Discrimination Bill

Wyoming Welcomes You (or not, depending on how you look at it)

By a vote of 33 to 26, the Wyoming House of Representatives killed a bill which would have made discrimination on the basis of sexual identity or gender identity illegal in the state.

The legislation had already passed in the Wyoming Senate.

Anti-discrimination laws serve dual purposes for many states. One, the laws help discourage discrimination. That's a good thing.

Second, they send a signal to corporations about the work environment in the state helping corporations attract and recruit talent.

Opponents of the bill expressed concern that folks wouldn't be able to hire and fire based on sexual orientation. And that folks right to expound on the sins of gays would be curtailed.

(source)

Wyoming: House Committee Passes LGBT Protections Bill To Full House On 6-2 Vote

A bill that would ban discrimination in Wyoming based on sexual orientation passed out of a state House committee on a vote of 6-2 Friday.

The bill has had a relatively easy journey having been approved by the Senate and now heads to the full House after the House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee approved the legislation on Friday.

Although there was one small bump in the road when GOP state Rep. Harlan Edmonds attempted to insert an "effective date" of "when hell freezes over."

Harlen was then ejected from the hearing.

The House is expected to take up the legislation this coming week.

(source)

Wyoming State Senate Approves LGBT Protections 24-6

The Wyoming State Senate voted Tuesday to approve a bill to outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

The Senate voted 24-to-6 on Tuesday to send the bill to the House.

The bill would add prohibitions against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity to a range of state laws that now prohibit discrimination based on other factors including race, age, disability and political affiliation.

The bill has exemptions for religious organizations.

(from The Republic)

Marriage Equality Begins In Wyoming Today

@dancepeda: Gay couple with first marriage license in Natrona County #Wyoming talk to media. #gaymarriage pic.twitter.com/CtT2YdQ2nX

— Dan Cepeda (@dancepeda) October 21, 2014

Wyoming Same-Sex Marriages Can Begin Tomorrow At 10AM

Wyoming Attorney General Peter Michael says the state will notify a federal court at 10 .m. Tuesday that it won’t appeal last Friday’s ruling that struck down the state’s ban on gay marriage.

With no waiting period for marriage in Wyoming, same-sex couples should be able to marry immediately following the notification of no appeal.

It's official: the state will not appeal. At 10am tomorrow, same-sex couples can legally marry in #Wyoming! #WY4M pic.twitter.com/WnEcBaUuEX

— Wyoming Unites (@WY4Marriage) October 20, 2014

Wyoming Governor Will Not Appeal Same-Sex Marriage Ruling

Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead has issued a statement saying he will not appeal Friday's same-sex marriage ruling. Same-sex couples will be able to marry in the state no later than Thursday, October 23, 2014, at 5:00 p.m.

"This result is contrary to my personal beliefs and those of many others. As in all matters, I respect the role of the courts and the ruling of the Court.

"While this is not the result I and others would have hoped, I recognize people have different points of view and I hope all citizens agree, we are bound by the law."

Marriage Equality Comes To Wyoming

A federal judge has declared that Wyoming cannot deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Via the National Center for Lesbian Rights:

Today, U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl of the District of Wyoming ruled in favor of the freedom to marry in the challenge to the State of Wyoming’s ban on marriage equality. The court’s order granted a request by four same-sex couples and Wyoming Equality, who had filed a federal lawsuit challenging Wyoming’s marriage ban, for an order requiring the state to allow couples to begin marrying immediately.

Citing two decisions of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit striking down Utah’s and Oklahoma’s bans on marriage for same-sex couples, Judge Skavdahl ruled that Wyoming’s refusal to permit same-sex couples to marry is unconstitutional. Judge Skavdahl ordered the state to begin issuing marriage licenses, but placed that order temporarily on hold to permit Wyoming state officials to appeal his ruling. Marriages will begin in Wyoming at 5:00 pm on Thursday, October 23, or as soon as the state officials defending the challenge inform the court that they do not intend to appeal, whichever is sooner.

The ruling is on hold until Oct. 23 or until government officials say they are not appealing the decision.

Read the ruling below:

2:14-cv-00200 #44 Wyoming Injunction & Temporary Stay

Wyoming Judge Says He Will Rule On Same-Sex Marriage Ban By Monday

After hearing oral arguments today in a lawsuit filed by NCLR and Wyoming Equality, U.S. District Judge Scott Skavdahl stated he will issue a ruling on same-sex marriage by 5 pm Monday, the Casper Star-Tribune reports.

The plaintiff's lawsuit requests that the state comply with the 10th Circuit ruling handed out earlier this year following the Supreme Court's refusal to hear its appeal.

From the NCLR, via press release:

The case was brought by Wyoming Equality and four same-sex couples who requested an immediate order directing state officials to comply with two decisions of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit establishing that a state’s refusal to allow same-sex couples to marry violates the U.S. Constitution.

The U.S. Supreme Court on October 6th let those appeals court decisions stand, meaning that all states within the Tenth Circuit, including Wyoming, must comply with those decisions.

Amazing time-lapse weather video from Wyoming

Storm chasing team Basehunters recorded the formation of an impressive supercell, or rotating thunderstorm, in Wyoming.

Really quite beautiful.

Over 3.4 million views in less than two days.

(h/t JMG)

Wyoming sees statewide campaign for marriage equality

A new campaign to legalize same-sex marriage in Wyoming, Wyoming Unites for Marriage, kicked off on the steps of the Capitol building in Cheyenne, Wyoming on Monday.

The campaign will work in conjunction with a lawsuit filed in state court on behalf of four same-sex couples, along with the National Center for Lesbian Rights, challenging Wyoming's ban on marriage for gays and lesbians.

Jeran Artery, chairman of Wyoming Equality, said advocates will hold rallies and discussions throughout the state to build support for the lawsuit and their goal -- to make civil unions between same-sex couples legal in the state.

"As that case makes it way through the courts, there is nothing more important that we can do than have meaningful conversations about why marriage matters to all of Wyoming's families," Artery told supporters Monday.

"At the end of the day, marriage for same-sex couples is about treating others like we would like to be treated," he added. "In Wyoming right now, loving same-sex couples and their families are being denied the protections that only marriage can provide."

Citing the national trend, Artery predicted it won't be long before same-sex couples can marry and have equality in Wyoming -- known as the Equality State.

Rep. Dan Zwonitzer, a Cheyenne Republican, said he has supported same-sex marriage in the 10 years he has served in the Wyoming House. During that time, the Legislature has not passed any anti-gay legislation. He predicted gay marriage will no longer be an issue 10 years from now.

(via Trib.com)

Wyoming: House committee advances domestic partnership bill, votes down marriage equality

The Wyoming House Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Committee voted down a marriage equality bill, HB169, in a 5-4 vote.

Shortly thereafter, the committee voted to advance HB 168, a domestic partnership bill,  carrying most of the legal rights of heterosexual marriage has cleared the committee by a vote  of 7-2 and is headed to consideration in the full House.

Click here to read the bill.

Wyoming: House committee to consider marriage equality

The National Center for Lesbian Rights sends us this press release:

Three bills—marriage equality, domestic partnership, and non-discrimination—have just been introduced, and the first committee votes are only days away.

At noon on Monday, January 28, the House Corporations Committee will hear testimony on the marriage equality and domestic partnership bills. If one or both pass committee, they will proceed to a vote by the entire House of Representatives a few days later.

On Wednesday, Jan 30, at 8 a.m., the Senate Judiciary Committee will hear testimony on the non-discrimination bill.

The votes will be extremely close and we need you, your friends, and your family to help secure a historic victory.

Wyoming, I should note, is The Equality State.

Click here to contact your Wyoming legislators.