Michael Shay

Name: Michael Shay Location: Cheyenne, WY Writer, blogger and arts administrator in Cheyenne, WY

A little about me

I've worked as a writer and editor all my adult life. I started blogging haphazardly in 2005 and picked up steam leading up to 2008 campaigns. I was selected as the Wyoming embed for the Democratic National Convention in Denver, my birthplace. My wife Chris works at the Local YMCA and we have two grown children.

I would describe myself as a

blogger

Why I deserve a Netroots Nation Scholarship

As one of the few progressive bloggers in red-state Wyoming, I feel a bit cut off from my brothers and sisters in the blogosphere. We are in the midst of strange times and it's crucial to connect as we close in on the 2012 election season. I'm looking for ways to serve as an online catalyst for local Wyoming progressive politics. We have made a difference in the past but it hasn't been enough...

I manage these blogs

Hummingbird Minds

The blogs I use most are

Daily Kos
New West

What first inspired me to get involved

I voted in my first presidential election in 1972 as a Massachusetts resident. I always vote but never was directly involved in local politics. That changed after the Iraq invasion and George W. Bush's many transgressions against human rights. I joined the Laramie County Democrats and was a Kucinich delegate to the WY Dem convention in 2004. I was an Obama delegate and my wife was a Clinton alternate to the 2008 state convention.. Along the way I jumped into blogging and found some kindred souls online when I couldn't find them in person.

How I've gotten others involved

My role as a local blogger is to spread the word about party meetings and election canvasses and other actions. My posts get people out and I usually cover the activities later, often with photos.

The blog post I am most proud of

http://hummingbirdminds.blogspot.com/2010/02/wyomings-new-code-of-west.html

Why I think participation in the blogosphere is important

I have been ready to quit a few times. Once in triumph following the 2008 elections. Several times in despair, especially following the 2010 backlash. But it's too much fun. I'm a published writer and humor and satire are tools I attempt to use often -- not always successfully. I've discovered that I can't be silent.

More about my involvement with DFA and local work

I've spread the word about local DFA events and attended (and covered) them in the blog.

More about my volunteer work

Member of Laramie County Democrats since 2004. Served two years as secretary and rewrote bylaws. Walked hundreds of blocks in all kinds of weather for Pres. Obama, U.S. House and Senate candidates, state legislative candidates, mayoral races, bond issues for libraries, etc. Very active in issue of mental health parity, serving on Governor's Mental Health Advisory Board and WY affiliate of Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health. My wife and I are very involved with the local theater and coordinate volunteers for it. I'm on stage every summer as a cowboy emcee for our local melodrama. The arts are a progressive activity.

My Twitter manifesto on online activism

I've been working more on connecting and less on ranting. Still learning.

My suggested bumper sticker slogan

Equality 4 All in WY

My idea for a cool new online action

No brainstorms right now. I do like the idea of turning conservative events to the progressive advantage. A fellow blogger and Facebook friend is holding a fund-raiser. People can pledge a certain amount to LGBT groups for every minute that Ann Coulter speaks on the UW campus March 31. Looks like the pledges are rolling in. This could work with any regressive local speaker.