University of Wyoming under fire for their new marketing campaign

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A planned marketing campaign for the University of Wyoming is taking heat from some inside the university who have called it sexist, racist and counterproductive to the goal of recruiting more out-of-state students.

“The world needs more cowboys,” the campaign claims, evoking images of stereotypical western icons in the minds of some faculty and misrepresenting UW’s research and educational goals, associate professor Christine Porter said.

“I care most about our university having a slogan that makes all people feel welcome here,” she said. “That’s what I care most about. I also care about us not embarrassing ourselves as an institution across the nation. However proud this state is of our cowboy tradition, it just does not translate outside the Rocky Mountain West.”

The objections are two-fold. She said the slogan both fails to be inclusive and fails to accurately represent UW to those outside Wyoming.

“For me, the clearest reason it’s unacceptable is the word ‘boy,’ excluding anyone who identifies as female,” she said. “In 2018 — and really for the past 20 years — it’s not been acceptable to use the generic male to pretend that includes female.”

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