These women think Cheyenne's mayor, Marian Orr, is falling far short as a role model for their gender

Editor’s note: This is the first of two columns exploring residents’ perceptions of Cheyenne Marian Orr as a leader. Today, women have their say. On Friday, we will hear from the men. Readers should beware that some of these comments may contain offensive language. Also please note some of these comments have been shortened and edited.



BY RICHARD JOHNSON

I posed one question to as many women as I could:

As a women, how do you feel Mayor Orr represents women in strong roles?

Their responses:

Ohhhh wow. I never thought of it. I honestly ignore her. I liked her at the beginning, but what she is doing I feel makes women look like idiots in that role.

How not  to act.

She’s a strong drinker.

She is a POS and makes me sad that she has a vagina and isn't just another white Republican male doing dumb shit. She does not represent strong female leadership in any sense.

Seriously, as a woman who feels like she’s pretty strong, she irritates the piss out of me and makes the rest of us look bad.

By misusing funds, making light of mistakes and issues, apparently doing whatever she feels like or wants without

Is Cheyenne's mayor a role model for her gender?

 consideration of their complexity or importance, I have to say she is not walking in territory in which men – some of whom are considered strong leaders – have not already blazed trails.  This is unfortunate for both males and females. But, when all is said and done, it is more unfortunate when women apparently can't rise above the mediocre, the business as usual, the good old boy roads and lead with integrity and at least an attempt to thoroughly consider issues and how constituents are impacted by the decisions of elected officials. Women who are mediocre or poor leaders are easily made into examples of why they should not be in leadership positions. 

She doesn't.  She is an embarrassment. Her leadership skills are very lacking, and she is very childish. I may not be a political figure, but I am a woman in the construction business, iron work, and I feel I represent strong women roles way better than she. No way would I say she makes me proud of having a woman mayor. It's like everyone voted her in because they were so excited about having a woman in the position they didn't give two shits about qualifications.

 She’s not strong or a role model. She’s attacked parts of Cheyenne that help people in need, and it makes her look horrible as a woman. She doesn’t care about the people; she cares about how she looks.

She's kinda angry.

A strong woman means collaboration, understanding (not agreement), constant visibility or communication and the ability to say "I apologize. I made a mistake.” Regardless of gender, these are traits that are indicative of a strong leader. Mayor Orr is setting a precedent in the state and the city that electing a female was a bad decision. Although gender isn't the issue, poor behavior is. To claim that she is representing women in strong roles shows she has no interest in equality but rather superiority

She’s a woman?  That just insulting.

Women deserve examples of transparency and accountability, not blame shifting.

I don’t identify with her at all, unfortunately.  I don’t see her as strong either.  She’s supposed to be a civil servant, but that’s not how politicians see themselves.  She’s not supposed to be a leader.

Whenever I have seen her at speaking engagements I think she handles herself very well. Well-groomed and professional. I'm still watching all the stuff concerning her. It is all very sad and it would be nice if she can redeem herself someday

I think she's doing a piss poor job of it, acting snotty and misappropriating funds.

She’s a poor representation of any woman. She is a train wreck. She isn’t a strong woman, even if she has a role that should make her one. She’s the drunk, sloppy gal friend that all women are embarrassed by on “Girls Night Out.”

I feel she makes female leaders look like petty high schoolers. The "I do what I want because I can" attitude is an embarrassment

She is a horrible representation of women in strong roles. I couldn't stand her before she became mayor, and I am disgusted by her now. I have strong feelings about her in general as I used to be friends with her husband. But a woman in power should be able to affectively outshine men in positions of power, not be an example of everything one should not do.

The mayor’s job is not an easy one. I wish I was in a better position to adequately answer your question.

I've always thought she was an idiot. I'm embarrassed to have her be a representative of women in any role.

Her agenda does not seem to represent women.

She literally told my seven-year-old son when he asked her what she actually did: "I'm the city’s biggest cheerleader!" There's much more to the job and life than that, Mrs. Orr.

She is the epitome of scandalous, I literally want to vomit when I think back to people getting kicked out of their trailers with nowhere to go, and she did not bat an eye. Then after volunteers took their time and efforts to plant flowers downtown, here comes “mayor of the year” and spends thousands of dollars to plant flowers that will die. Oh yeah, don’t forget about the federal grant “misplaced” money that she played dumb about, but then she tries to blast the governor about his tantrum, saying that she was intimidated. I don’t think she is a woman at all. She is a manipulative and disgusting politician, female Trumpanzee.

I feel Mayor Orr as a woman is strong with lots of ideas, good and bad, who is able to stand up with a voice and compete on the same level as her male opponents.

At first I thought well she was a fighter and didn’t take shit, but as time passed and I started paying closer attention she’s kind of a bitch and backstabbing. I don’t trust her and question the representation and the legacy she is leaving.

She makes us look incapable and incompetent. I didn’t vote for her, but I was happy because she’s the first woman mayor. Now I’m just disappointed!

I have not been impressed. She is not truthful and manipulative. It doesn’t matter that she is female.

There is an obvious air that she is in this for herself, her perk-using ways make it clear she is the swamp. She has had the opportunity to raise women’s voices in our society and all we are hearing is hers. Not impressed.

I don't feel she represents women in a positive light because she is shady about everything she does. Even the grant she returned. Getting in as mayor was just her way of bettering herself and not Cheyenne. She proved her position is about power and not responsibility. I didn't vote for her because I knew she was a phony.

She is an embarrassment! Terrible representation in everything she does! I really hope she does not run again!!

She makes us look like a crazy joke! I had spoken to the mayor on several occasions before she was elected and I can say, “Man, is she good.” Good at getting you to see what you want to see, not what’s really there. Just like every other politician, she says what you want to hear to get elected then only looks out for herself. Then to call people names like a child when they catch you doing the wrong things for our city just makes it worse.  

I feel like she misrepresents women in strong roles. She hasn’t admitted to fault in anything she has done incorrectly. Instead, she has found scapegoats. She also acts like a victim when things become heated. I feel like she is a poor representation of what a strong female leader should be, and I also feel like she is going to hinder the election of another female in the future.   

LOL! Poorly.

Not well. She makes our gender look stupid.

She’s a joke and an embarrassment to all women and this city. She may be the mayor of Cheyenne, but she forgot her role and that’s to take care of the city. What Mayor Orr needs to do is fix this mess she put the city in and how she’s going to repay the money that she used that’s supposed to be for the city.

She makes women look bad! Many men in strong roles do not want women in the same roles because of how she’s acting right now. The way she’s going about it is all wrong. She doesn’t represent strong women in large roles. She’s representing herself.

She is not authentic and does not represent the people of Cheyenne. It is so important that women in positions of leadership can demonstrate these qualities.

I'm usually a positive person, but I don't have nice things to say about her.

I don’t think she is a good representative of a woman in a strong role. I prefer Cindy Lummis as a strong female role model.

A strong woman is one who listens and acts with compassion.  Orr dismisses her constituents on a daily basis, ignoring their views, telling them to kick rocks and calling them haters. She is not a strong role model to me.

I don't think she was prepared or knowledgeable with the duties of the job.  I think she may be strong in many areas, but as mayor she thought she was a Trump!

Very poorly. I feel that just like every other mayor she has used and abused her power. As a woman she is up against different odds here in Wyoming with all the good ole boy mentalities, but I really think she could have gone about things in a completely different way.

I’m sad to see how she is representing women.

I don’t feel like Mayor Orr represents us at all. I think she is a disgrace to Wyoming. It's downright embarrassing seeing Cheyenne in the Washington Post for something so disgraceful she did. I don’t feel like she represents strong women, Cheyenne, or anyone for that matter other than herself! 

I do feel Orr is corrupt and pathetic, and she should step down.

I do not believe she is representing women very well at all. Most woman find solutions for issues, not create more. Very disappointed with her.

Two-faced. I don't respect her at all.

I feel that she represents why people don’t trust women's judgment.

She’s a disgrace to this community.  It’s embarrassing to have a female leader in office that continuously carries on like a child. There are young women watching what she “represents,” seeing only corruption, lies and arrogance.

She is a poor representation. She takes no accountability for what she says or does. I have children and the most important thing I can teach them is being accountable for their actions, both good and bad. If you misspeak or mess up, own it, learn from it and do better the next time. Instead, she acts entitled, doesn’t take the issues of our city seriously and it’s frustrating. She had such a golden opportunity to really bring our community together and make it better. Instead she has drawn a line in the sand and is mocking people that don’t agree with her.

She has demonstrated that power mongering, corruption, arrogance, bullying and ineptitude aren't just for the boys. She's a self-aggrandizing narcissist who only cares about herself.  She doesn't give an ass about Cheyenne or its people.

She’s a bratty woman who throws a fit when opposed/something goes wrong/people don’t kiss her ass/she gets caught doing shady things and then tells those voters that voice their opinions to “kick rocks.” She’s not a mayor. She’s a system-sucking, self-entitled twit. 

She doesn’t. She’s an ethically challenged embarrassment who uses adolescent terms like “kick rocks” and “haters” to justify her self-serving behavior.

She has, at times, let her emotions get ahead of her. Women are often seen as unstable due to heightened emotions that don’t appear controlled. 

No, she has surrounded herself with yes people and mostly men. Any woman with an opinion was fired or resigned.

I can think of precious little she has done to make power and decision-making more open to the women of this city. She’s not aces in my book.

She is doing a huge disservice to the rest of us.

Kind of hard for her to do so when she can’t even be respectable in her own role.

She represents woman negatively. She is a very big disappointment and an embarrassment, making poor decisions and taking no accountability for her actions.

Hand No. 1: She’s a female mayor, proof it can be done. Hand No. 2: She’s a freaking idiot who most people despise and think she can't do her job. So.... mixed?

I don't feel she represents strength because she complains often, throws fits and tries to make other elected officials look bad.

I don’t think she understands herself, the role she represents. This woman is just playing the game. She plays the really dumb blond bullshit (with the gentlemen) and the Oh really bullshit (like a child), and the I can fix these potholes, but she has an idea how to do that. This woman has no clue how to represent anyone, let alone women. I am ashamed for her!

Mayor Orr is strong with lots of ideas, good and bad, who is able to stand up with a voice and compete on the same level as her male opponents.

I think she’s slim shady.

She isn’t strong; she is very weak. Only the weak fight dirty, squirm out of situations and wreak havoc. She does not represent a woman well in being in a strong role.

Because women haven’t been in positions of power for all that long, the ones who are now in those positions should know that what they do and how they conduct themselves reflects on future women in powerful positions. Orr makes me cringe. She has behaved in an unprofessional and petty manner has given plenty of ammo to those that believe women shouldn’t be in those positions. I would like to have seen a woman who is honest with a true desire to help the citizens of Cheyenne become the first female mayor.  I’d love to see her step down as mayor. She doesn’t deserve that position.

She’s giving women a bad name. The old stereotypes of lying to get what she wants, to justify her actions. She’s manipulative.

Richard Johnson is a former City Council member from Ward 3 on Cheyenne’s east side.