A local couple, Rob Johnston and Carl Oleson, were part of the Courage v. That's not to say it was nonexistent Casper has played an important role in advocating for equality in Wyoming and beyond.
While Casper has had a chapter of PFLAG, an organization that provides support for LGBTQ youth and their families, since 1994, the queer community was somewhat nebulous for a long time. Pride - a joyous summer rebellion against the shame and persecution so many of us have survived, and far too many still face - is less a celebration of freedom here than an act of survival and solidarity.īut what this town does have, aside from near-constant wind and long winters, is a small, loving queer community that embraces the diversity of its members and has found strength in its young leadership. Casper doesn't have a 'gayborhood,” those city centers where queer households and businesses have clustered together, or even a single gay bar. In Casper, Wyoming, where the electoral map is as red as the sunset, there is no LGBTQ center.
