Greetings! My name is Melanie Vigil and I am the new
Public Education and Outreach Coordinator for the ACLU of Wyoming.
Coming from the small town of Lander, WY, I graduated
from the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Arts in Gender and Women’s
Studies and Global and Area Studies. I am also slowly working towards a
master’s degree in Public Administration, and I was recently appointed to the Wyoming State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
My family has lived and worked in the State of Wyoming
for several generations. As an out lesbian living in this state, I see the need
for not only nondiscrimination legislation for LGBT people, but a need for
public education on the issue of discrimination, as well. Lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender people should not be fired from their jobs, or otherwise discriminated against, for simply being who they are.
The ACLU has taken a strong stance in support of
nondiscrimination protections for LGBT individuals, which is why I am so proud
to work for and represent the organization. The ACLU of Wyoming has
acknowledged the need for public education on this issue in Wyoming, and has
worked tirelessly to make my position a reality. As the Public Education and
Outreach Coordinator, I will be teaming up with our friends at Wyoming Equality traveling across Wyoming holding town halls, doing presentations,
and facilitating discussions surrounding LGBT discrimination in the state.
Since the recent failure of a statewide nondiscrimination
bill at the Wyoming Legislature, the need to make Wyoming a fairer, more equal
place is now more urgent than ever. I am excited to work for a cause and an
organization I believe so strongly in, and look forward to contributing to the
betterment of this great state I call home.
Feel free to contact us if you are interested in
learning more about the ACLU and our work to bring equal rights to the Equality
State.
