Saying that Wyoming is a strong socially conservative state will come as no shock to anyone. The shocking part of that social conservatism is what happened last week in Campbell County.
Mikayla Oz, a magician from Iowa who was set to perform at Campbell County Public Library and the Wright Branch Library, was forced to cancel her two shows.
Campbell County Public library issued a statement claiming that misinformation spread about Oz’s kid-centric acts, and protests and threats followed soon after.
“With great regret, regret shared by Campbell County Public Library System, Oz canceled her programs in Gillette and Wright due to safety concerns for herself, library staff, and library patrons,” the library wrote.
“Her high energy magic, captivating storytelling, and hilarious comedy was to be a highlight of the libraries’ summer reading events.”
Oz claimed to receive harassing phone calls and messages claiming there “would be issues” should she come to Gillette.
This all came about because of a few unnamed Gillette citizens’ efforts to expose Oz as a transgender woman and spread misinformation about her act.
Soon after, more anger was stoked by some in the community who claimed the library was pushing a “queer agenda” by hosting Oz as well as having a showcase for LGBTQ+ literature some time before.
This is a prime example of some of the deep issues still present in the Wyoming community.
First of all, the threats targeted at Oz for her identity are completely unnecessary. More importantly, the protests against her for pushing a “queer agenda” or “trans lifestyle” are completely unfounded.
“I’ve never had this exact thing happen before,” Oz said. “In my magic show, I never talk about me being trans. My show is purely a family friendly magic show. It was disheartening to hear that all of this was used to propagate something that was not necessarily related to me.”
Furthermore, this issue shows a failure of the Wyoming community to properly hold events, showcases, or supportive community affairs for members of the LGBTQ+.
“The overriding fear that I often hear is that people think by weaving more positive cultural aspects into the community, that you will also force kids to become members of the LGBT,” psychologist Dr. Aimer out of Colorado said.
“This simple fact is that’s not true. There has been no evidence to support that misconception. What’s far more likely is that by being more open and welcoming, you invite members who already exist to become more open and comfortable in the community,” Aimer added.
The idea of pushing a queer agenda is a misinformed way of saying that doing these things makes members of the community feel more connected to that community.
That LGBTQ+ literature showcase could help someone become more comfortable in their skin. LGBTQ+ positive events could help members feel more connected and welcomed in any community.
A prime example of this is the “Tales at the Taphouse” event in Laramie, an event built to “celebrate self-identifying women, trans, and non-binary individuals in our community by fostering a community-driven storytelling series.”
Events that celebrate, showcase, or host LGBTQ+ culture are not the problem.
The problem is the fact that the lack of these can severely harm the mental and emotional health of people who feel like they have to hide and deny who they are to fit into a community.
“These protests would surely be a sign to some that maybe they wouldn’t be supported in their town or city,” Dr. Aimer said. “And that keeps people from coming out, which we’ve proven to be stressful and harmful.”
This piece is not to put the blame on every Wyoming citizen out there.
However, regardless of how few the voices of anger were, it is still a clear sign that the rest of the state community needs to work harder to be more open and caring in our position.
So whether it be hosting a showcase of LGBTQ+ literature or booking a transgender magician who never even was part of the issue in the first place, one lesson remains clear.
Wyoming needs to be more accepting and promoting of LBGTQ+ culture.
