Supported by the Grace Amspoker Fund and the Tony Cate Fund
This story is from our fall 2021 newsletter. See the full newsletter here!
Every June, Casper celebrates its LGBTQ+ population, while its LGBTQ+ citizens celebrate the community they love. People from across the state join the celebration, too. Pride events like this are important times for the community to connect and to support each other. But Casper’s pride festivities usually only occur during the summer, and Mallory Pollock knows that more support is needed year-round.
Mallory is the chair of Casper Pride, which recently became a first-time WYCF grantee. Because of your generosity, the Casper Area Local Board has provided Casper Pride with a $10,000 grant to help them strengthen year-round programs and establish a new resource center.
Creating programs beyond the usual June events is crucial for an organization like Casper Pride. A recent survey of nearly 300 LGBTQ+ people in the area revealed the urgent issues this community faces. Mental health issues are common, because many of these residents do not feel safe in the communities they love. Many also cannot access the healthcare they need.
Mallory recognizes the importance of creating a resource hub not just for Casper, but for the whole state. “I don’t see why Wyoming doesn’t have one, and why Casper, being up in the middle, shouldn’t be able to provide that for the state,” she remarks. “I think this is Casper’s responsibility.”
Because of your support, Casper Pride’s leadership can make a difference for people who need it,
all across Wyoming, all year.