by Ken Toole | Oct 27, 2025 | Guest Articles, LGBTQ+ Issues, Mayor
Guest Editorial by Allen Lanning
I have been more focused on national and international affairs lately, but this is LGBTQ History Month, so I’m going to weigh in on an issue in the Great Falls mayoral race.
There is a meme circulating on social media about kids looking at a Halloween costume labelled “Homophobic Mayor of Great Falls” which is clearly intended to represent our current Mayor, Cory Reeves. Cory is offended and disappointed, asserting he has never been homophobic, period.
But here’s the deal. Prejudice occurs on a spectrum, or slider, from mild, unconscious biases to intense, hostile attitudes. Prejudice against LGBTQ people is called homophobia. People like Cory consciously or unconsciously push the slider in their mind so that only the most egregious and open conduct qualifies as homophobia to them.
Granted, if you narrowly define homophobia that way, Cory is not homophobic. I believe he would never gratuitously physically attack an LGBTQ person, he would never call someone the “F” word, he would never join in bullying or making crude, hurtful jokes about LGBTQ people or fire someone just because of their sexual orientation.
But his definition of homophobia is too narrow. It’s wrong and misleading. Homophobia at the low end of the spectrum is still homophobia and is still hurtful.
When you take official action as Mayor out of a desire for LGBTQ people to remain invisible in the public eye and the public record, that’s homophobic.
When you change the City’s longstanding policy or practice of issuing proclamations or flying celebratory flags to avoid having to make a Pride Month Declaration or to avoid hanging a Pride flag on public property or to avoid publicly acknowledging the history of oppression and harm LGBTQ people have suffered, that’s homophobic.
When you assert governmental neutrality between oppressed LGBTQ people and the people who would oppress us, that’s homophobic. We see it. We know it for what it is. And we remember it.
I have always had polite communications with Mayor Reeves. He is generally friendly and accessible. I recognize that he has done positive things in his private and his public life. But homophobia doesn’t change its nature because it’s manifested in subtle ways by genteel people. And polite regard for one’s friends and family members who are part of an oppressed group does not excuse actions taken to further that oppression, even small ones.
So yes, if you judge Mayor Cory Reeves by his mayoral actions on LGBTQ issues, he is homophobic, despite his protestations. It’s fair to describe him as mildly homophobic. But it is not truthful or fair to allow him to slide himself out of the label entirely. Obviously, this is but one aspect of this race. But if that is an important issue to you, and it should be, remember that when you vote.
by Ken Toole | Oct 24, 2025 | Guest Articles
Jackie (Mike) Brown over at The Western Word Blog has published his recommendations for the city elections. Enjoy and follow the Western Word.
The MAGAs in Great Falls are spending a lot of time attacking mayoral candidate Jasmine Taylor. Some commentators on social media claim that incumbent Mayor Cory Reeves will have an easy time getting reelected, but with all the attacks, I think Reeves and his supporters might be a little worried.
I would be worried, too, if I had raised taxes, fees, and rates as much as he has in just two years. I don’t think the voters in Great Falls want more of that.
The attacks have intensified, and there are 12 days left until Election Day, which is November 4. The ballots have been mailed, and people are starting to return them. This is crunch time.
Yesterday, I told readers that I would like to see some new faces on the Great Falls City Commission. The current commission is a rubber stamp for the city department heads and the city manager. We need some forward-thinking younger people on the commission.
Therefore, I will support Jasmine Taylor for Mayor, Casey Schreiner for City Commission, and Matt Pipinich for City Commission. I hope you will join me.
by WTF 406 Staff | Oct 20, 2025 | City, Elections, Mayor
Great Falls, Mont.
[[Jasmine Taylor has stepped away from the blog, and she was not consulted or informed about this article.]]
About a week ago, Great Falls Mayoral Candidate Jasmine Taylor posted a video on her candidate page showcasing the hate language she has to deal with as a female candidate. https://www.tiktok.com/@montana_jasmine/video/7559640921394973965
Honestly, the comments are pretty sickening. Women face extra hate speech when they step up and run for office. In 2008, when Hillary Clinton was running for president in the Democratic primary against Barack Obama, the dudebros were chanting “make me a sandwich” at her rallies and worse. Things haven’t improved much for women since then, as recently as last year someone with Great Falls license plates was driving around with a “Joe and the Hoe” bumper sticker. Why are they calling Kamala Harris a Hoe?? Not misogynistic at all, people!
Great Falls Mayor Cory Reeves Eggs on Attacks
Jasmine Taylor’s opponent, Great Falls Mayor Cory Reeves, likes to egg on the attacks on Jasmine Taylor. He posts half truths and misleading information about Jasmine, and lets the trolls say hateful things about her with no push back from him.
Aside: If you didn’t know, Cory, you can (a) block comments from hateful people on your posts, (b) respond to the comments and ask them to stop, or even better (c) don’t encourage their attitude in the first place!
Mud Slinging 101
For example, on the topic of “throwing mud”…see a classic instance of Cory throwing mud in his post from September 23rd that we wrote about here.
Recently Cory shared an AI-generated video he saw posted by the Montana Resistance Facebook page. In the post Cory asserted that Jasmine Taylor supports the “false” video “involving kids.”
But what does he deem as her support for the video? The fact that it is not flattering to Cory? Jasmine does not run the Montana Resistance page, and she did not generate the video. The video shows AI-generated children examining a Homophobic Mayor of Great Falls costume that “says it comes with diversion of library funds and higher utility rates!” How is that false? Cory has repeatedly made announcements that he refuses to make a proclamation in support of Pride Month (homophobic). Cory has diverted library funds out of a long-standing city contract agreement after the library levy passed (diversion of library funds), and Cory has voted to raise our city utility rates by 27% (higher utility rates). WHERE IS THE “FALSE” PART?
Facebook keyboard warriors commented on Cory’s post to say the AI-generated video that Jasmine didn’t create or support was “literally…disgusting and disgraceful of her!”; “How old is that girl Jazabell [sic]….she is a girl right?”; and so on. You get the picture.
Cory Can’t Handle Criticism
It’s ironic that Cory encourages criticism and attacks on Jasmine when he, himself, cannot handle the mildest of criticism. Several people have personally relayed to us that when they questioned Cory on his stance on certain issues, or criticized him in any way, he reacted by becoming excessively defensive and aggressively attacking them. Three different individuals shared details about conversations that they had with Cory. To protect the privacy of these private citizens, we will only share selected excerpts from their conversations. Evidence was provided via screenshots, their physical phone text message views, and the like.
Example 1
On June 9th, Cory shared a post on his mayoral page stating “…[a]s a mayor, I wear many hats and searching for drowning victims is one of them….” One of his constituents asked for clarification if the searching for drowning victims was a part of his mayoral duties. This is the unhinged way Cory responded:
Example 2
A few days later, Cory shared a post on his personal Facebook page sharing an article from the right-wing hate blog of E Shitty Beat (oops, I mean: E City Beat) that was critical of Jasmine Taylor’s stance of funding for public safety. Someone commented that they dislike candidates posting shit about each other, and Cory jumped down their throat, too. See the screenshots below.
Example 3
To round it off, another community member reached out to Cory after he wrote an attack post against Jasmine Taylor on June 17th. Part of Cory’s post included the follow assertations:
5. Community Values:
I listen to all voices, but I also believe in common-sense leadership rooted in faith, family, and freedom. My opponent pushes divisive politics that don’t reflect the values of most Great Falls families.
- Government Role:
I believe the government should focus on the basics: safe neighborhoods, economic growth, infrastructure, housing, and protecting your freedoms. My opponent wants the city to weigh in on every national political issue, often at the expense of local priorities.”
Regarding his “common-sense leadership rooted in faith, family, and freedom” and “weigh in on every national political issue,” the community member recognized that as a nod to Cory’s repeated decision to make a public announcement that he would not make a proclamation in support of Pride Month. The not-so-constructive discussion on the topic is provided below.
… A further exchange between the two on the topic of homophobia…
This November’s Electoral Choices
Our ballots for the municipal election are going in the mail on Monday, October 20, and we hope that people will take into consideration the tone of this race that has been set by Cory Reeves. He has created a culture and atmosphere that stirs up the vile and obscene comments Jasmine Taylor has to wade through during her campaign. Is that the type of mayor that Great Falls wants?
Big Sky 55+ has endorsed Casey Schreiner, Matt Pipinich, and Jasmine Taylor in this year’s municipal race. Please take that into consideration when you cast your votes.
by Ken Toole | Oct 18, 2025 | Guest Articles
Despite the fact that coal vs renewable energy has become a flashpoint inTrump’s culture wars, the dye is cast. The future belongs to renewable sources of energy. Politics may slow down the advancement of renewable power but technology and economic realities will continue to drive cleaner, more efficient renewables into the market displacing old, expensive coal.
Guest Post From Tammy Jenkins
Not Enough Bidders For BLM Coal Sale
BLM held a lease sale for 1,262 acres in Big Horn County, Montana that attracted one bid from the Navajo Transitional Energy Company, which operates the nearby Spring Creek Mine.
The numbers shaking out from a Montana coal lease sale on Oct. 6. According to AP reporting, the top bid was $186,000 for 167 million tons of coal, penciling out to one-tenth of a dollar per ton. For comparison, the region’s last successful federal sale went for $1.10 per ton of coal.
Had the recent Montana lease gone for a similar rate, it would’ve been about $183 million.
Kendall said that matters, because half of that money is returned to states and local governments for things like public infrastructure and schools.
“I think the big question and the moment of truth will be whether the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) actually accepts the bid,” Kendall said.
BLM Can Only Accept “Fair Market” Bids
The BLM is supposed to only accept “fair market value” bids under those 1976 federal rules protecting taxpayers and public lands. The BLM doesn’t disclose what it deems fair market value, so if it accepts a bid at a significantly lower rate, Kendall said that’s telling.
“I think the concern is that the offices and the systems that were put in place in order to ensure that the public is getting a fair return for taxpayers is under threat,” she said.
The bid of $186,000 for a lease with an estimated 167.5 million tons of recoverable coal equates to less than a penny per ton.
Public land leases for mining and logging have been opened up by the current administration. Most folks in Montana want to keep public lands in public hands.
For more information:
Federal coal lease sales muster low bid in Montana and delay in Wyoming | Wyoming Public Media
by Ken Toole | Oct 16, 2025 | Politics, Racism
Politico obtained 2,900 pages of internal chats between leaders of national republican youth groups. They reveal a culture filled with bigotry, hatred and references to violence directed at their political opponents. No matter what you think of Politico’s reporting (which is left leaning and generally rated as accurate by media watchdogs) these comments stand on their own. Whatever happened to the Grand Old Party?!?
This link takes you to the full Politico report
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/14/private-chat-among-young-gop-club-members-00592146
