Being a gay educator in Wyoming, it's not always an easy job.
My “why,” why I continue to do the work that I do, is I have a platform where I can advocate for those who haven't found their voices yet. Here at the state level, that advocacy comes with telling your story.
Growing up I always knew I was different—couldn't necessarily put a title to it. When I started high school, I knew I was gay. My freshman year of high school was the year that Matthew Shepard was murdered. At that point, I decided to hide who I was.
After freshman year of college, I moved to Casper College, where I met my now husband, and discovered I needed to come into who I was.
In July 2004, I came out to my parents. They disowned me for about six months.
I was starting some courses to be an educator at that point and picked up a book … about how one in 10 educators identified with the LGBTQ community. Within that book, it had a comment that resonated with me. It was about how ‘you may not believe that I'll be with you in the afterlife, but I want to spend as much time here and now in this life with you.’
I gave that spiel to my mom and we both bawled our eyes out. But it mended that relationship.
When 2014 happened (same-sex marriage was legally recognized in Wyoming), we were the first to apply for a marriage license. Hit the paper and everything.
What was acceptable and how I felt in 2014 really changed. I got active within the education association immediately and started to run for some positions. I'm lucky, as I get to be the NEA director for the state of Wyoming and … meet directors from all over the country.
If I could go back and have a conversation with a younger Dirk, the thing I would talk about: It's OK to be your authentic self. We're all unique in our own ways. We all belong, and we deserve to belong in that space just as much as anyone else.
