"We believe the NDO would be used to bully people like ourselves," said Thomas Bailey.

Bailey said he and his wife Haley have a burgeoning photography business and they fear being sued if they were to deny their services to someone if an NDO were put in place.

Local pastor Steve Schreiner apologized for the hurt experienced by those in the Billings LGBT community and then spoke to the concerns voiced by the Baileys.

"People of faith are being persecuted," he said.

Schreiner said he worries that an NDO would be "weaponized" by groups who oppose the Christian faith.

State Senator Cary Smith spoke to the council about the "unintended consequences" of NDOs, explaining that was one of the reasons the state legislature had yet to approve one.

Public comment was followed by a discussion among council members as they prepared to vote on whether to place an NDO on a future agenda.

Mayor Cole parsed his thoughts carefully, speaking about the importance of standing up against hate, bullying and violence against the LGBTQ community in Billings. His opposition to moving forward was his belief that the language of the draft ordinance was unconstitutional.