CHEYENNE — Rihanna Kelver stood outside a women’s restroom in the Wyoming State Capitol, looking down, clasping her hands, and taking a deep breath.
Kelver, 27, was about to use a public restroom, as he had done many times before. But today was different. A new law had just come into effect.
Starting Tuesday, “in each public facility, no person shall enter a changing area, restroom, or sleeping quarters that is designated for males or females unless the person is a member of that sex,” according to the statute.
In other words, the new law requires people to use the facility that corresponds to the sex assigned to them at birth, regardless of their gender identity, physical appearance, or what appears on their legal documents.
While it does not impose criminal or civil liability on those who violate the law, it does hold governmental bodies accountable if they fail to enforce the restriction.
Kelver, a transgender woman, had driven from her home in Laramie with a small group of friends and supporters to test the limits of the new law.
“That is the thing. “We’re going to the state and asking them to put their money where their mouth is,” Kelver told WyoFile outside the capitol building.
Kelver had been anxious in the days and weeks leading up to this moment, she admitted.
She had made public statements before. In high school, she came out to her peers during her campaign for student body president. Kelver, then 18, ran for Albany County School Board as an openly transgender candidate.
“This one, the ‘what ifs’ are a lot more diverse,” replied Kelver. “They’re much more unknown. And some of today’s ‘what ifs’ are more serious.”
Nonetheless, Kelver stated that she felt compelled to follow through.
“I want to be here today because I know the fear and anxiety I felt with these laws and within the national conversation,” Kelver told WyoFile outside the Capitol. “I want to be here so [others] know they don’t have to feel alone, and that’s the biggest message.”
Kelver informed the Wyoming Highway Patrol and the governor’s office of her intention to use a women’s restroom at the capitol prior to her demonstration.
Kelver gave her fiancé her keys, wallet, and phone before entering the building, just in case she was arrested. She placed her ID card in the front pocket of her black jeans.
“I do not fundamentally believe in the state’s interpretation of my own identity, and I will not remain silent in the enforcement of where and how I can exist in public as who I am. “I mean no harm to anyone else,” Kelver said in a brief speech before ascending the Capitol steps.
“Today, I am about to enter [the Capitol] with a couple of my friends, to use the women’s restroom in accordance with my gender identity and legal identity,” she told me. “I don’t know what’s about to happen, but I’m ready for whatever happens.”
Outside the bathroom doors, a friend who had been recording Kelver on his phone came to a halt, while Nichol Bondurant, Kelver’s former English teacher, walked in ahead of him to ensure it was empty. (Kelver later stated that she “didn’t want to throw anybody in the middle” of her decision.
When everything was clear, Kelver walked in, used the restroom, washed her hands, and left. That was it.
“Have a good day,” Kelver said to the highway patrolmen at a nearby desk.
“Same to you,” he said.
How we got here
Wyoming’s new bathroom restrictions are one of several measures passed by lawmakers in the 2025 session to limit transgender people’s rights.
A second bathroom-related bill requires public school students to use restrooms, locker rooms, and sleeping quarters that match their gender at birth. Additionally, the 2023 sports ban has been extended to include collegiate athletics in Wyoming.
While LGBTQ+ advocates hope to use the legal system to overturn the new laws, no legal challenge has yet been filed.
Meanwhile, the legislation’s sponsors have stated that the new laws are not intended to restrict rights, but rather to ensure safety and privacy.
As Tuesday’s demonstration went on without incident, the Wyoming Freedom Caucus took to social media. The group, which represents the Legislature’s far right wing, has been vocal in its opposition to transgender rights.
“We call on Governor Gordon to utilize the good men and women of the Wyoming Highway Patrol on site at the People’s House to defend House Bill 72, now House Enrolled Act 48,” the caucus wrote on Facebook.
The governor’s office declined to comment for WyoFile.
The State Freedom Caucus Network’s Wyoming state director, Jessie Rubino, was at the Capitol to watch the demonstration but declined to comment.
In April, a transgender woman was arrested in Florida after washing her hands in the state capitol’s bathroom. The woman was protesting a law that makes it illegal to use restrooms in public buildings that do not correspond to one’s gender at birth. The case was dismissed this week.
Decision
Kelver returned to her supporters outside the capitol building, who were standing in the shade of a cottonwood tree and cheering her return.
“As some of you know, I ran away from Laramie and Wyoming for a little bit because I got scared,” Kelver said, referring to a recent year-long stay in Colorado.
“But I’ve made my decision. I am back. I’m going to be loud. I’m going to be obnoxious for the state, not out of choice, but simply because of who I am.
“So I love you all,” she finished. “Thank you for coming.”
