Last September, Ríhanna Kelver was standing outside the Crowbar & Grill in Laramie, Wyoming, preparing to start her bartending shift, when she noticed a group of men across the street. One of them was shouting in her direction, and Kelver heard several homophobic and transphobic slurs as he began approaching her. Moments later, according to court testimony and surveillance footage, the man shoved Kelver to the ground hard enough to injure her tailbone.
Kelver responded by drawing a pistol from her bag, chambering a round, and pointing the weapon at the man who had pushed her. She kept the safety on and never fired. The man and his companions retreated.
Today, Kelver, a 28-year-old trans woman, faces two felony charges—aggravated assault and possession of a deadly weapon with unlawful intent—which could carry up to 15 years in prison. The man who shoved Kelver and who allegedly initiated the confrontation, known only as “S. Durham,” has not been charged.
Have you been to Laramie? It has quite a large queer population these days.
My guess is it’s due to the state university being there. Honestly Laramie and Cheyenne are the best places to live if you are queer in the state.
Obviously this post is evidence that the issue is it’s still Wyoming, but I generally don’t hop on the victim blame train. Queer people deserve to live where they want. They shouldn’t fear violence, and we shouldn’t judge them for living where they choose.