Wyoming House Minority Floor Leader Cathy Connolly urged members of the House of Representatives to support anti-discrimination legislation.

Connolly is one of two openly gay members of the house and notes that the state continues to have problems with crimes against the LGBTQ community.

During her speech to open the 2019 legislative session, Connolly noted that last fall was the 20th anniversary of the Matthew Shepard murder and there were reports of harassment and bullying of LGTBQ people across the state.

She urged lawmakers to take a risk and finally address the problem for the good of the state.

"We will not attract the cutting edge businesses envisioned by the ENDOW initiative. That we are losing our youth, not just our gay ones, but their friends and family who don't want to stay in a place where their friends and loved ones live in fear," said Connolly. "We need to take the risk to go home and tell our constituents proudly that Wyoming now joins the majority of the nation in doing something about discrimination."

Connolly said most people will support that action and said it will move the state forward.