Jim Osborn oral history, 2016

Jim Osborn was a Laramie, Wyoming resident known for his work with the LGBTQ community, the University of Wyoming as a Diversity Specialist and Title IX Coordinator, and a founding member of the drag troupe, “The Stilettos.” Osborn grew up in Wright, Wyoming and moved to Laramie in 1994 to attend the University of Wyoming as a secondary English education major. While at UW he became involved with the LGBTQ community and the issues they faced. He was chair of UW’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Association when Matthew Shepard was murdered in October 1998, which brought Osborn into the national spotlight through the media coverage the murder received. Following these events, Osborn took more of an active role in LGBTQ issues by traveling to colleges and universities speaking about hate, violence, and LGBTQ issues. In April 1999, Osborn was a member of the group that dressed as angels with large, outspread wings and stood in front of Albany County Courthouse to block the signs and voices of protestors led by Fred Phelps from Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. In 2008, Osborn decided to make his passion for diversity his profession and began working for the University of Wyoming, Office of Diversity and Employment Practices as an EEO and Diversity Specialist. In 2016 Osborn became the Title IX Coordinator for the University of Wyoming. Jim Osborn was also known as Martina Gras, his drag queen persona in the drag troupe, “The Stilettos.” The Stilettos were a Laramie, Wyoming drag troupe that was known for their annual fund raiser, “Drag Queen Bingo,” which raised money for Wyoming AIDS assistance. Their first drag show was in 2006 at the Cowboy Saloon in Laramie, Wyoming.