The Wyoming Senate Judiciary Committee has passed a bill that would prohibit state agencies and political subdivisions from requiring employees to refer to others by their preferred pronouns, Wyoming News Now reports.
The bill, Senate File 77, titled “Compelled Speech is Not Free Speech,” now heads to the Senate floor for debate.
Sen. Lynn Hutchings, R-Cheyenne, who sponsored the bill, said it was prompted by a constituent’s concerns.
“This simply states that the state and its political subdivisions shall not compel or require an employee to refer to another employee using that employee’s preferred pronouns,” Hutchings explained.
She noted that some pronouns are “pretty much made up” and could be challenging for employees to remember.
Nathan Winters of the Wyoming Family Alliance supported the measure, emphasizing that individuals should not be forced to adopt language that contradicts their beliefs.
“It is fine for one to believe something about themselves, even if it doesn’t line up with the reality,” Winters said. “Yet, when they compel someone else to acquiesce to their belief, that is problematic because it forces that individual into what they would believe to be a lie.”
Opposition to SF 77 came from advocacy groups and education representatives who expressed concerns about its potential impact on academic environments and interpersonal dynamics.
Ben Moritz, executive director of the Wyoming Community College Commission, stated that while his organization had no official stance on the bill, there were concerns about its potential effects on discourse in academic settings.
“Could it have a chilling effect? We are asking that question,” Moritz said.
He pointed to faculty worries about the implications for open and frank discussions.
Sara Burlingame, executive director of Wyoming Equality, argued that SF 77 is part of a broader pattern of legislative efforts that she views as promoting “bullying.”
Despite the debate, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to advance SF 77, sending it to the full Senate for further consideration.
