Wyoming’s Cross-Dressing College Professor is Leaving The Cowboy State For Greener Pastures

In 1972, Larry Goodwin was a Vietnam veteran, working as an airplane mechanic and raising two children with his wife Vickie. Then, he decided he needed a change. That's when he started dressing in women's clothing in public. For the past 43 years, Sissy Goodwin, as he would later become known, has been a lightning rod for attention, and scrutiny, here in Wyoming.

Goodwin's metamorphosis was outrageous at the time, especially in a small, conservative state where men are expected to be tough. Over the years, Goodwin proved just how tough he is. When a stranger called him a "sissy", he adopted the name. Sissy Goodwin went on to become a Professor of Science at Casper College and was recently one of five teachers nominated as the school's most outstanding instructors.

In 2013, Goodwin gained national recognition when he was profiled by the Los Angeles Times. Sissy and Vickie, his wife of 46 years, are back in the news this week after announcing that they will be leaving their home in Douglas, Wyoming, for greener pastures in Oregon. The Goodwins will be retiring to a small farm outside of Portland, where Sissy plans to tend to animals and the fields in his favorite skirts and blouses.

After living in Wyoming for his entire life, the 68 year old Goodwin says he will miss the Cowboy State. Even though they might not have always agreed with his lifestyle, plenty of people here in Wyoming will miss him too.