When I joined the Equality State Policy Center in 2005 after a career in journalism, I knew a lot about government and how it works and I knew a lot about Wyoming. I didn't know much about advocacy, knew damn little about running a nonprofit organization, and, it seems, had not explored some of those remote corners of my own sensibilities about race, diversity, immigration, and GLBT issues. The first thing they did was introduce me to people like Bob Fulkerson and Terry Kendrick, so I recognized right away that I'd better keep a sense of humor about the whole deal. At my first CSTI, workshops about fund-raising and running nonprofits filled some gaps and opened my eyes. At a workshop for new executive directors, I looked around a room of 17 and realized that I was one of two straight people in attendance. Ah,it was clear evidence that when people are oppressed, they either get beaten down or they get organized. I realized that the GLBT "and Q" crowd, as one very verbal young gay black woman called them, was organized and noisy. The conversation in the workshop was all about ways to energize people and actively confront the — how shall I say it? — sonsuvbitches using homophobia to shove a bitter conservative agenda down the throats of the good people of the Northwest. This was not the only eye-opening, consciousness-raising moment of that CSTI for me. But it is one I won't forget because I recognized my own misunderstanding of the full humanity in that group. These people were not surrendering. They were putting up a big fight in Idaho, the Oregon state house, in Washington, Montana and Nevada for recognition of their basic human rights. Sure enough, in 2007, we confronted Defense of Marriage legislation in the Wyoming Legislature.. That moment at the CSTI had clarified what was at stake. We organized to fight it and succeeded, at least until the 2009 general session. The lesson was not one I expected to take away from a workshop advertised as preparation for handling the nuts and bolts of running an organization. Western States Center has provided much, much more to the ESPC and to me. I've leaned on the people there many times when dark clouds loomed over the organization and Wyoming. They've connected me to people who have become friends and great colleagues. They've connected us to funding, lined up experts to help us, offered ideas, and, I repeat, helped us find financial resources needed to do this work. As a member of the board of directors I've seen they're collective commitment to making life in the region better for everyone, even the people who disagree with them, perhaps especially for the people who disagree with them. Here's a toast to Western States Center: Cheers, good luck, and as my friend Dan Whipple would say, "confusion on your enemies!"