In Montana, a transgender lawmaker, Rep. Zooey Zephyr, has been silenced by Republican leaders in the state legislature for speaking out against a bill that bans gender-affirming care. Zephyr has been deliberately referred to using male pronouns by conservative colleagues, prompting a demand for her censure by the Montana Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative lawmakers. The group claimed that Zephyr’s comments were “hateful rhetoric,” despite her warning that the bill would have “blood on their hands” if passed. Montana is one of several states passing laws that could endanger the lives of transgender teenagers.
Last year, Zephyr became the first openly transgender woman elected to the Montana Legislature and has spent much of her life advocating for LGBTQ+ rights. She had hoped that her presence in the Legislature would help people understand what it means to be a trans adult and enlist moderate Republicans to push back on what she called “extreme and dangerous attacks.” However, she and fellow members of the Democratic minority have been powerless to stop Republicans from passing bills to ban gender-affirming care for transgender children and another that says misgendering or deadnaming students is not illegal discrimination unless it rises to the level of bullying.
On Tuesday, as the House was debating Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte’s proposed amendments to a measure banning gender-affirming care for minors, Zephyr spoke up in reference to the body’s opening prayer. She warned lawmakers that they would have “blood on their hands” if they voted for the bill, prompting Republican House Majority Leader Sue Vinton to call her comments inappropriate and disrespectful. That evening, the Montana Freedom Caucus demanded her censure and deliberately referred to Zephyr using male pronouns in their letter and a tweet.
Speaker Matt Regier refused to allow Zephyr to speak against a bill Thursday that would put a binary definition of male and female into state code, and she was blocked from speaking again Friday during discussion of a bill to prevent minors from seeing pornography online. Regier said he silenced Zephyr after discussions with other lawmakers. Democrats objected, but the decision was upheld by Republican lawmakers on party-line votes both days.
The dispute highlights the tensions and harsh rhetoric around culturally divisive issues, including gun control, racial justice, and LGBTQ+ rights, that are dominating much of America’s political discourse. The Tennessee expulsions of two Black lawmakers following their participation in a protest on gun control drew accusations of racism after they were removed while a white lawmaker involved was retained. This week alone, state legislatures advanced numerous measures aimed at the trans community, including Florida’s bills on gender-transition treatments, bathroom use, and keeping children out of drag shows, North Carolina’s ban on transgender athletes, and North Dakota’s bill limiting trans health care.