This letter to the editor was posted in the Gillette News Record on November 18th, 2025. You can read the original letter online HERE.

I should start out with “In total transparency, I have also sent this letter to council members.”

I’m contacting you not just as a resident of Gillette, but as the person who first brought forth our Malicious Harms Ordinance.

I did this because I love this community. Because I believe Gillette is at its best when we protect one another, when we stand up against cruelty, and when we say clearly that hate and harassment have no home here.

The Malicious Harms Ordinance was never meant to divide us. It was meant to protect us — all of us. It says that no one in Gillette should be targeted because of who they are, what they believe, or who they love. It’s a reflection of our shared values: respect, fairness, and the belief that every person deserves to feel safe walking our streets.

Repealing this ordinance would not only remove an important safeguard, it would send a message — a message that the safety and dignity of some of our neighbors matter less. That’s not the Gillette I know. That’s not the Wyoming way.

We are a strong, caring community. We can disagree, but we can still stand together against hate. is a symbol of that strength — a promise that in Gillette, we look out for one another.

I urge you, please — do not repeal this ordinance. Let’s show that our city has the courage to lead with compassion. Let’s keep Gillette a place where every person knows they belong.

Billy Montgomery

Gillette