Casper College to Screen LGBTQ+ Film ‘Invisible Wyoming’ At Humanities Festival February 22

Casper College is presenting its 37th Annual 'Humanities Festival' from February 22-24, and the 26 and it will be screening the LGBTQ+-focused documentary film 'Invisible Wyoming' on Tuesday, February 22.

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Invisible Wyoming, produced and directed by Patricia McInroy, is a 35-minute documentary "operating as a 'then and now' of the LGBT community, with an emphasis on Casper, Wyoming," according to the film's Facebook event page.

The documentary will be screened on Tuesday, February 22 at the Wheeler Concert Hall on the Casper College campus, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Per the Casper College Humanities Festival page, McInroy will introduce the film before the screening and will then offer a question-and-answer dialogue with attendees at the conclusion of the film.

"Are there really gay people in Wyoming?" the film's trailer asks.

The answer is yes. The trailer introduced some Wyoming residents, many of whom are familiar to the LGBTQ+ community in Casper, and then delved into the history of homosexuality in Wyoming, particularly focusing on the Matthew Shepard Case.

Shepard, since his death in 1998, has become one of the faces of the LGBTQ+ movement in Wyoming. Many people believe Shepard was killed by two men because of his sexual orientation, and his case gained national media coverage, due to its labeling as a 'hate crime.'

But the trailer revealed that the documentary will not just focus on where Wyoming was; it will focus on where it is today as well. It featured footage from Pride marches and festivals that have occurred in Casper, and included interviews with various members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as allies. The film even featured an interview with Dennis and Judy Shepard, the parents of Matthew.

"It doesn't matter if you're straight or gay," Dennis Shepard said. "Regardless of race, religion, your skin color, your economic background - they all need an equal chance."

This event is free and open to the public and is sure to create an opportunity to have a real discussion about a vital issue in Wyoming and beyond.

The trailer for the film can be seen below.