Legislators have diminished reputation of Montana

I’m ashamed. Ashamed of our legislators. Ashamed that Montana is now a national disgrace. Ashamed that LGBT folks across the country see how our elected officials and court system denied human and legal rights to their own member.

I’m impressed with the courage that Rep. Zooey Zephyr demonstrated in the face of elected officials who denied her right of free speech and treated her as an outcast. Our Legislators disrespected one of their own members and made our state the laughingstock of the nation. They have diminished the reputation of the Treasure State by disrespecting the right to representation of our citizens and wasting the currency of our self-respect and the respect of our country by demonstrating their ability to put prejudice ahead of representative government. They are wasting the treasure of Montana’s reputation to impose their personal power and control.

We Montanans have given power to people who are abusing it. I hope we know better the next time.

Ina Albert, Whitefish