State of Montana Newsroom
Wolf Point Graduate Brings ‘Diversity Day’ Play to Helena
In 2010, the Missoula City Council passed the first law in Montana that protects people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender from discrimination in housing and employment. The vote followed almost six hours of public comments, which included heartfelt testimony from people in favor of the law and those who opposed it.
On April 25, 2024, some of those moments will be relived during the play “Diversity Day,” when Helena community members read snippets of the public testimony. The one-hour play by Gregory Hinton begins at 7 p.m. at The Myrna Loy. Admission is free, and the play will be followed by a discussion with Hinton and Heidi Wallace of EmpowerMT.
The play is “an effective, efficient, and dramatic way to tell a story and preserve LGBTQIA+ oral history,” said Hinton, who originally hails from Wolf Point and now lives in Los Angeles. “Diversity Day offers a frank glimpse into the day-to-day lives of Montana’s LGBTQIA+ community and those who oppose their call for non-discrimination protections. “
“Diversity Day” was first presented by Hinton at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in February 2012. It’s also been read as part of West Hollywood’s One City/One Pride Culture Series and was presented at University of Wyoming’s Shepard Symposium on Social Justice in Laramie in 2013, as well as in Missoula, Billings, and Las Vegas.
The play is being produced by the Montana Historical Society.
“Gregory does a great job representing multiple points of view, which is one of the reasons we’re producing the play,” said Martha Kohl, the MTHS Outreach and Education Program manager. “As a historical agency, we always try to provide multiple perspectives on issues, without telling people what to think.”
In addition to being a playwright, Hinton is founder of Out West, an organization dedicated to illuminating the West’s LGBTQ history through museum exhibits, lectures, films, oral history, and performances.
For more information, contact Martha Kohl at mkohl@mt.gov or Gregory Hinton at 323/876-9585 or outwesthinton@gmail.com