Category Archives: LGBTQIA+

Empowering Narratives: Celebrating LGBTQ+ History with the Award-Winning American Heritage Center and Gregory Hinton

Preserving and celebrating diverse narratives is crucial to understanding our shared history and fostering inclusivity in society. In a remarkable collaboration the American Heritage Center at along with playwright and producer Gregory Hinton, have been recognized for exceptional work in … Continue reading

Posted in announcements, Archival preservation, LGBTQIA+, Out West in the Rockies, Uncategorized, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Donald Vining Diaries – A Fifty Year Chronicle of a Gay Man’s Life

June is Pride Month, an opportune time to highlight the unique diaries of Donald Vining. Vining was a diarist from the very beginning. At the age of eight, he began documenting his day-to-day activities. He wrote one line, largely practical … Continue reading

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A Cowboy State Tour of “A Sissy in Wyoming”

Larry Goodwin was a man’s man in almost every respect – Vietnam War veteran, former rodeo cowboy, power plant operator, and aircraft mechanic. And he had the build of a linebacker. But one characteristic separated Goodwin from most other men … Continue reading

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Opening Chutes and Closets – Gay Rodeo

The chute flies open and out comes a bucking bronc, with a rugged cowboy astraddle, trying their best to stay mounted – this iconic image is associated with rodeos across the West. And since 1975, a similar scene has played … Continue reading

Posted in Agricultural history, LGBTQIA+, Out West in the Rockies, Sports and Recreation, Uncategorized, Western history | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Celebrating LGBTQ Pride: The S.J. Moffat Collection

While Pride celebrations have changed to accommodate pandemic restrictions in June 2020, we are highlighting the AHC’s “Out West in the Rockies” LGBT collections. “Out West in the Rockies” seeks to preserve and highlight narratives of LGBTQ people and communities … Continue reading

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New Finding Aids: August 2019

We’ve had a busy and productive summer processing collections! Here’s another round of finding aids we’ve published so you can see what we’ve been up to. As a reminder, Finding Aids act as a table of contents for our collections. … Continue reading

Posted in Digital collections, Hollywood history, Laramie, LGBT, LGBTQIA+, Local history, military history, Motion picture actors and actresses, motion picture history, Natural resources, newly digitized collections, newly processed collections, oral histories, Out West in the Rockies, popular culture, University of Wyoming, University of Wyoming history, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2018 marks the 20th remembrance of Matthew Shepard’s murder

To honor Matthew Shepard’s memory and continue efforts to strengthen compassion and inclusivity in our community for LGBTQ+ and all social identities, the American Heritage Center curated an exhibit that is on display until October 31 at the Buchanan Performing … Continue reading

Posted in announcements, Centennial Complex, Current events, events, exhibits, found in the archive, LGBTQIA+, Matthew Shepard, Transgender people, Uncategorized, Under-documented communities, University of Wyoming history, Violence - history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Transitioning to Her True Self: S.J. Moffat’s Story

Shannon Moffat, born Samuel Johnston Moffat and known professionally as S. J. Moffat, transitioned in her 50s and had a long and storied career in her 82 years. She was born on August 23, 1927 in a small suburb of Pittsburgh. … Continue reading

Posted in Authors and literature, Collection donor, LGBTQIA+, Shepard Symposium on Social Justice, Transgender people, Uncategorized, Under-documented communities | Tagged | Leave a comment

Commemorative Display about Matthew Shepard at the American Heritage Center

The Shepard Symposium for Social Justice begins tomorrow, April 11, at the Wyoming Union on the University of Wyoming campus in Laramie. According to the symposium’s website, the Shepard Symposium, an annual event at the University of Wyoming since 1997, … Continue reading

Posted in announcements, Centennial Complex, events, exhibits, found in the archive, LGBTQIA+, Politics, Social justice, Uncategorized, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged | Leave a comment