Douglas, Wyoming, natives Vickie and Sissy Goodwin got married in 1968. It was around the time they started their lives together that Vickie learned of a secret Sissy had been harboring since childhood—a preference for feminine clothing and cross-dressing in private. When Sissy decided to start wearing skirts, dresses and frills in public a few years into their marriage, Vickie struggled to accept it. And the couple quickly learned that Sissy's self-acceptance came with an often violent public backlash, both at home in Douglas and elsewhere.
We visited Vickie and Sissy at their home, for a conversation about masculinity, resiliency and staying married for 50 years.
Vickie and Sissy Goodwin at their home in Douglas, Wyoming (Katie Bishop)The World's Largest Jackalope in Douglas, Wyoming (Flickr/Ken Mickles)