The Wyoming SAGE system of care presented the VOICE photo project to Spectrum Nov. 11. The Photovoice Project has hopes to target the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning people of our community. SAGE represents the movement to form better mental health care in Wyoming.

VOICE, which stands for Voicing Our Individual and Collective Experiences, has been a part of Wyoming for two years, been present in five counties and recorded the experiences of 99 people. The project invites families and individuals to share their experiences through photographs and personal narratives. It is an ongoing initiative throughout Wyoming to promote advocacy, education and community-based research.

At the University of Wyoming, the Photovoice Project works with GLBTQ students and staff in developing stories that show the events in the life of those people. The Laramie community has been targeted as lacking in exposure to the GLBTQ community and what they encounter.

“We really see the state of Wyoming lacking in the exposure to the GLBTQ community, especially in our Photovoice Project,” Wyoming Photovoice Project Chair Kent Becker said. “We really want to show what these people have encountered through their lives and share that with the community to create more awareness.”

The Photovoice Project works with their participants to develop a plan of action after their stories have been compiled and finalized. Usually, the participants identify a group of people they would like to share their stories with and invite them to attend a reception. Participants generally target a group of people they feel are unaware of the issues the project is bringing forth, and often invite top Wyoming government officials to attend.

“Our hope is to get a handful of students and staff to come together and share their stories here at the university,” Serena Lambert, assistant professor in counselor education, said. “We hope that these participants can work as a group to get their voice heard in the community.”

The project, when displayed, consists of posters filled with two or three photographs and a short narrative next to each. The project travels around the state to be displayed in prominent places. Generally, most participants choose to withhold their name and identity from the display, substituting false names in place of the real names used. The story is completely told under the participant’s control and all expenses are covered.

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Got a burning question? Send it to Dr. No at:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Feral ‘til age 8 and baptized by fire, Dr. No has been doling out advice and solving problems since 1999. Her areas of expertise include sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll, Wesley Snipes movies and outer space, but she can answer pretty much any question.

 Q: I have a new-ish friend whose birthday is coming up. I’d like to get him a present. How much should I pay for gift for someone I just met?

 A: Apparently nothing, because every time I’ve ever given someone I’ve just met a present, they stop talking to me. One bag of climbing chalk, a pack of Cohibas and a marimba later, I’ve come to realize that people are fickle and that you should not, under any circumstance, buy them things, unless you want to cycle through the whole friendship in fast-forward, missing the part where you make each other laugh so hard you pee and go straight to part where you start calling each other names and then stop calling all together. So, what I would do is hold off on the gift-giving until you get tight enough to know what their farts smell like and maybe just settle, for now, on a ‘hello’ and a punch in the arm for their birthday.

 Q: I made some really stupid mistakes and now there is no way my ex will talk to me. I texted him, called him, emailed him and he just doesn't reply. I’ve given him space and I don't bug him too much to get on his nerves. I gave him a week and tried again and there's just nothing I can do to get him to talk to me.

 A: As far as I know, this column is called ASK Dr. No, not Complain to Dr. No. Maybe if this was Tuesdays with Whiney or Tuesdays with A Waste of My Time, I could help you, but I don’t think I can. If you would like my help, try throwing in a question mark, or better yet, give me space and don’t bug me too much to get on my nerves.

 Q: I always go for girls who have boyfriends and it needs to stop. How can I make this happen? 

A: It depends. Are you only attracted to girls who are in relationships, or is it that everyone you’re pining for just happens to be attached? If it’s the former, then I’d say you’re not so much into girls who have boyfriends, as you are unavailability. People always want what they can’t have; that’s why there are so many albums by The Smiths. Pretty much what you’re doing right now is being one of those crazy women who write to felons. That’s right, you’re a prison pen pal. You’re basically Danielle Steel, guy.

What you need to do is grow a pair of big, hairy balls and start living and loving in the real world. Go out there and chat up some fine ladies that aren’t attached. You’ll know which ones they are, because they still wear makeup and show up to the party with their own booze.

However, if your problem is that you always find out later that the girl of your dreams has a boyfriend, then what you really need to do is keep yourself in her heart and mind until her and her boyfriend break up, because they will. They always do, unless they’re a total Wesley and Buttercup.

In the meantime, though, you should still go and chat up as many ladies as possible, because you’re going to be really bored waiting around for your dream girl and her guy to hash it out. Sometimes it can take months or even years for people to realize that the reason they think everything blows is because of their partner, and you don’t want to be sitting around eating Hot Pockets in front your computer when you can be out making hot pockets, if you catch my drift. When it’s finally over, all you need to do is be there, bring a fresh shirt and let the lady cry her salty little tears while you shove a hefty slice of compassion into her mouth. When’s she’s finished, go get her a pie and some whiskey.  She’ll be all yours.