As a woman born and raised in Wyoming, I feel very safe in this great state — I always have. I bet most women you talk to can say the same. Yet, recent rhetoric from a growing number of lawmakers paints a picture of danger that doesn’t match reality.
Opinion
Three days into the Wyoming legislative session and already we’ve heard testimony and seen bill titles that claim to be designed to “keep women safe or protected.” I’m concerned that these bills and the testimony given by a growing number of people are less about my well-being, and more about using women’s “safety” as a tool for political manipulation — bills like “What is a Woman Act” and “Protecting Women’s Safety in Public Spaces.”
Wyoming women are strong, resilient and smart. If you talk to working moms, retired women or young women here, their safety concerns center around their true well-being.
Hardworking women in Wyoming are worried about whether there is high-quality child care in their community and how they will pay for it.
They’re concerned about rising health care costs and how they’ll afford bills if someone in their family gets sick. They’re also concerned about the lack of maternity care and the closing of labor and delivery units across the state.
Wyoming women want to ensure they and their children have access to educational opportunities.
Senior women seek connections to community and are worried that the services funded with their property taxes may go away because of continued property tax cuts.
These aren’t just women’s issues; these are community issues.
I appreciate the discussions and work being done during this legislative session to support education, health care access, economic opportunity and community. I ask our Wyoming Legislature to focus on the issues at hand and stop using women’s safety as an excuse to pass bills that cannot stand on merit.
Wyoming women aren’t damsels in distress. They don’t need protection — they need opportunities to achieve well-being. Let’s focus on policies that strengthen our Wyoming communities.
It’s only double talk and does nothing to make me or my friends feel “safer.” If anything, it makes me afraid for the future of Wyoming women.
Thank you, Micah!
Right on. These bills will really do the inverse of what they say they are trying to do: limit women’s rights and freedoms. This is the playback of modern conservatives today. It is un-American.
We need safety as a society, both men and women. Violence affects us all and homicide rates are higher in men. This legislature could do some real good by enforcing laws already on the books and making it financially feasible to live and work in Wyoming.
100%!!!
The women of Wyoming have more to fear from the “Freedom” Caucus than any imagined threat they claim to be protecting us from.
My sentiments exactly. Don’t trying sliding something thru under the guise of “protecting and keeping women safe” Golly, how in the world do you suppose us poor little ol’ women made it this long without your “help” Go do something productive that will achieve positive results for all of Wyoming……stop already with the “what is a women” and “protecting women in public spaces”. We know who we are, and we don’t need protecting. We’ve managed quite nicely on our own for generations and will continue to do so without laws or government interference. and, if you think we do, then maybe you should look in the mirror and examine your fears. Long live cowgirls!
I truly appreciated Ms. Richardson’s article. Thank You
Well written article Micah! Thank you for standing up for the women of Wyoming.
Wyoming women are under attack-from the fake christians.