By Elliott Orrin Hinkle, Director of Community Education & Well-Being, Casper Pride
In Wyoming, we have lived by a simple motto: “live and let live.” It’s a belief that everyone should be able to go about their life in peace, to show up as themselves, and to be treated with dignity. But too often, stigma gets in the way of that.
At Casper Pride, we’ve launched a stigma-reduction campaign to open up honest conversations about what stigma is, how it shows up, and how each of us can help build a more supportive community for our LGBTQ+ neighbors, youth, and families.
Stigma isn’t just about harsh words or overt discrimination; it’s the quiet judgment, the whispered comments, the uneasy silence when someone shares who they are. It’s the fear of losing your job, your safety, or your sense of belonging if you come out or live authentically. In small communities like ours, that fear can feel amplified because everyone knows everyone, and sometimes “fitting in” feels safer than being known.
Right now, across the country, LGBTQ+ people, especially trans and nonbinary folks, are facing a wave of hostility and misinformation. When national conversations turn harmful, local support becomes even more vital. Our community can’t control national politics, but we can decide how we treat each other here at home.
That’s what our campaign is all about. Through messages like “Acceptance saves lives. Start at home.”, “Don’t be your child’s first bully.”, and “Be the safe place, not the storm.”, Casper Pride is reminding our community that change starts close to home: in our families, our classrooms, our churches, and our neighborhoods.
We’ve taken these messages to where people already are through digital billboards, in movie theater previews, on stickers and yard signs, and across social media feeds. Each message is a simple but powerful reminder that love and understanding aren’t just nice ideas, they are life-saving actions that ripple outward into a safer, more connected community.
As the campaign has gone on, it’s been eye-opening to notice just how much stigma we are up against and, by extension, how much children, youth, and families are up against, too. Folks love the phrases and the designs (shoutout to the fabulous Sarah Rudkin for the artwork), but when we offered yard signs, some people hesitated. They worried about whether their job might be impacted if they had a sign in their yard, if neighbors might harass them, or if they’d be the only person on their street with one.
“Even one yard sign can tell a young person walking home from school, ‘you’re not alone.’”
Elliott Orrin Hinkle
Conversely, I think about how many young people walk home from school, ride the bus through a neighborhood, and come across those same signs. For some, it might be the first glimmer of hope, a quiet signal that maybe, just maybe, someone nearby is safe, supportive, or even similar to them. A small moment that says, you’re not alone, and there are people for you.
This October, as we mark National Coming Out Day (October 11), we’re also honoring the courage it takes to come out not just once, but over and over again, in a world where being yourself can still carry risks. Stigma is one of the main reasons people stay silent or feel unsafe coming out. Reducing stigma means creating a culture where people don’t have to choose between honesty and safety.
Casper Pride’s stigma-reduction campaign is just one piece of a larger effort to promote community education and well-being year-round. Whether it’s offering affirming recovery spaces, creating resources for families, or hosting Pride events that bring people together, we believe that everyone deserves to feel seen, supported, and celebrated.
Wyoming has always been a place of resilience. Let’s make it a place of belonging, too. One where “live and let live” truly means everyone gets to live fully and freely.
Learn more about Casper Pride’s upcoming events and resources at casperprideguide.com
Follow Casper Pride on Facebook and Instagram for ways to get involved in the campaign.
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