When it opens in November, dancers at a new gentleman's - aka strip - club west of Mills will take their clothes off.

Tuesday night, opponents of the business took their gloves off.

"This issue is not over with yet," Mary Lansing told the Natrona County Commission at a standing-room-only meeting at the county annex.

"As our elected officials, we expect you to send a message on our behalf that strip clubs are not welcome in Natrona County in any future decision," Lansing said.

On Sept. 2, the commissioners voted 4-1 to approve a conditional-use permit for local businessman Sonny Pilcher to open the club after it won previous approval by the county's planning and zoning department.

Commissioners Rob Hendry, Barb Peryam, Terry Wingerter and Jon Campbell voted for it. County Attorney Eric Nelson said commissioners had little basis on which to deny the permit because of vague legal language and First Amendment rights.

However, commissioner Matt Keating voted against it, saying the Wyoming Constitution states the health and morality of the people is essential to their well-being.

Lansing and eight others lauded Keating and chastised the other commissioners, saying they voted for the conditional use permit out of fear.

Most of them read from concise and well-prepared statements, citing ethical, legal, moral and political reasons.

Madison Orcutt, 14, told the commissioners she'd skip the moral and religious reasons and instead refer to U.S. Supreme Court cases that allowed governments to ban nude and lewd conduct.

She and others voiced their disappointment in the four commissioners' reasons for approving the permit.

"I saw fear in such strong people, people who I thought I could look up to, and people who I admire," Orcutt said. "Fear of being seen as violators of the First Amendment, fear of Mr. Pilcher taking us to court, fear of saying 'no' to indecent (behavior)."

She appealed to the commissioners to consider the youth of the community, and not allow them to be coerced into indecency, she said.

Besides the fear on the part of the four commissioners, Janet Fichtner said a strip club denigrates the dignity of women.

"It will encourage sex addiction, more sex crimes, broken marriages, cheating and abuse," she said. "Businesses such as this do not teach or encourage women to have value, morals, and that their bodies are sacred and not meant to be sold for sexual pleasures. Such establishments instead communicate that women's bodies are mere objects and to be sold to the highest bidder."

After the meeting, Becky Vandeberghe of the Carpenter-based advocacy group WyWatch urged the strip club's opponents to organize. "We are trying to protect families across the state."

Maria Antonovich, who helped organize the speakers, said she didn't know what opponents will do next.

They aren't a radical group, she said. "We're just trying to raise our families in a healthy community."

She's known Pilcher for years, and said the opposition to the club is not about him.

Pilcher was at his club Sidelines on Tuesday, and said the opposition to his club - to be named either Cowboys or Cowgirls - is ridiculous because it will be about six miles west of Casper. "Most people won't even know it's there."

He is the sole owner of the club, and will recruit the dancers who work a circuit around the West, he said.

"I don't disagree that it might degrade women," Pilcher said.

But America is a free country and people can decide for themselves whether they want to go to his club, he said. "Nobody's forced to do anything."

Reach Tom Morton at (307) 266-0592, or at Tom.Morton@trib.com.