Pronouns bill heads to governor’s desk

CHEYENNE (WNE)  — A bill to prohibit the state from requiring its employees to refer to each other by their preferred pronouns has one final hurdle before becoming state law.

Enrolled Act No. 23, formerly Senate File 77, “Compelled speech is not free speech,” is headed to Gov. Mark Gordon’s desk for his consideration.

The enrolled act includes language that those aggrieved by a violation of the proposed law “may file a civil action in any court of competent jurisdiction against the state or any political subdivision, and its employees acting in their official capacities, responsible for the violation to seek injunctive or declaratory relief.” It does not include “compensatory damages, reasonable attorney fees and court costs,” as discussed in previous versions of the bill.

The House and Senate had gone back and forth on what penalties to include in the bill. Sponsor Sen. Lynn Hutchings, R-Cheyenne, advocated for the highest penalty, as she said teachers in Wyoming had lost their livelihoods when terminated for failure to use a preferred pronoun.

Those in opposition testified that SF 77 targets an already marginalized population in Wyoming.

Gordon has three options: sign the bill into law, let it become law without his signature or veto it.

This story was published on February 27, 2025.