LGBT

A bill that went through Wyoming's 2023 Legislature would forbid teachers from covering certain topics in kindergarten to third grade classes. The bill was touted by its supporters as a necessary check to keep classroom conversations age-appropriate, but opponents feared it would stigmatize queer youth.

LGBTQ+ protections vary greatly across the state. A handful of cities have non-discrimination ordinances, some have human rights commissions, others report hate crimes to the FBI. It can be difficult to track all these moving parts, which is why the Human Rights Campaign publishes annual scorecards for more than 500 cities in the United States — including seven cities in Wyoming. These scores can give a sense of where a city stands when it comes to LGBTQ+ protections, but they don’t paint the full picture.

In the 25 years since the death of her son, Judy Shepard has advocated on the national stage for LGBTQ acceptance. She pushed for and witnessed former President Barrack Obama’s signing of the Matthew Shepard and James Bird, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009. Throughout the years, award-winning playwrights, directors and musicians have produced art grappling with the death of her son and what it has meant for the larger culture. Shepard spoke with Wyoming Public Radio’s Jeff Victor about Matthew’s legacy, the everyday reminders of his life and, despite everything, her hope for the future and for the next generation.

The Shepard Symposium on Social Justice is an annual event held at the University of Wyoming. It hopes to bring attention to inequities still experienced today and find solutions. Dr. Anne Guzzo was asked by the conductor of this year’s music show to compose a piece of music in honor of Matthew Shepard.

It was 25 years ago that Matthew Shepard, a young gay man, was brutally murdered in Laramie. While long time residents may remember those events, a lot of Wyoming's college students weren't alive yet when it happened. Wyoming Public Radio's Jordan Uplinger interviewed people around campus to see what they think about the historic event.

Five years ago, 20 years after his death, Matthew Shepard's autopsy was released. During the 20th anniversary show, Wyoming Public Radio’s Melodie Edwards spoke to the coroner who conducted Shepard’s autopsy.

We have gone back into our archives and chosen some stories from Wyoming Public Radio’s 10th and 20th anniversary reporting of the Matthew Shepard murder. Starting with a 10th anniversary look back at WPR’s reporting immediately after Shepard’s death 25 years ago. Wyoming Public Radio’s Elsa Partan introduces the story.

On the show for the 10th anniversary of Matthew Shepard's murder, Wyoming Public Radio reported on the impact Shepard’s death had on those reporters covering the breaking news. Wyoming Public Radio's Elsa Partan introduced the story.

According to research, trans youth are at a much higher risk for depression and suicide than their cisgender peers. It's been found that risk is higher in communities where trans youth are not accepted.