Montana lawmaker Zooey Zephyr, who is transgender, was told she could not participate in debates on the Montana House floor after a trans rights protest inside of the House and threats toward Republicans..Republican leaders made the decision Wednesday. They said she could not speak for the rest of the 2023 session because she protested against their earlier decision to silence her..Freshman Zephyr received the punishment after a week long disagreement between Democrats and Republicans in the House..Zephyr spoke out to her colleagues last week about a bill to ban medical care for children seeking “gender-affirming” healthcare..This led to a conflict between the lawmakers and Zephyr, who said the Republicans would “see the blood on your hands.”.Zephyr will still have the ability to cast votes remotely..Before her colleagues voted on her punishment, Zephyr delivered a speech on Wednesday addressing House Speaker Matt Regier..She stated she was taking a stand for the LGBTQ+ community, her constituents in Missoula and “democracy itself.”.Zephyr's supporters caused a disturbance during the House session on Monday and seven people were arrested in a confrontation that Republicans alleged Zephyr had encouraged..House leaders notified the new Democratic lawmaker on Tuesday evening that they were planning to take disciplinary action against her, according to a letter she shared on Twitter..The decision to discipline Zephyr marks the latest development in an ongoing disagreement over whether Montana Republicans will allow the lawmaker from Missoula to speak unless she apologizes for her comments last week about the proposed ban..Some conservative Republicans repeatedly referred to Zephyr, a man who identifies as a woman, using incorrect pronouns and misgendering “her” in response to “her” remarks..Zephyr's comments and the Republican's response set off a chain of events that led to a rally outside the Capitol on Monday..Protesters packed the gallery at the Statehouse and interrupted House proceedings by chanting “Let her speak.” .This incident was a catalyst for her supporters and those who believe her actions attacked civil discourse..House Speaker Regier has been leading the effort to prevent Zephyr from speaking, and it is under his leadership it continued..Regier and other Republicans believe Zephyr's comments were completely inappropriate and outside the boundaries of “civil discourse.” .Republicans and Regier demanded she apologize before being allowed to participate in legislative discussions..“There needs to be some consequences for what he has been doing,” Rep. Joe Read told the media, using the incorrect pronoun when referring to Zephyr..Zephyr allegedly made a signal to her supporters before Monday's meeting was interrupted, but it's not clear what the signal was except that it was described as a “strange movement” by Read..“When she gave the signal for protestors to go into action, I would say that’s when decorum was incredibly broken,” said Read.
Montana lawmaker Zooey Zephyr, who is transgender, was told she could not participate in debates on the Montana House floor after a trans rights protest inside of the House and threats toward Republicans..Republican leaders made the decision Wednesday. They said she could not speak for the rest of the 2023 session because she protested against their earlier decision to silence her..Freshman Zephyr received the punishment after a week long disagreement between Democrats and Republicans in the House..Zephyr spoke out to her colleagues last week about a bill to ban medical care for children seeking “gender-affirming” healthcare..This led to a conflict between the lawmakers and Zephyr, who said the Republicans would “see the blood on your hands.”.Zephyr will still have the ability to cast votes remotely..Before her colleagues voted on her punishment, Zephyr delivered a speech on Wednesday addressing House Speaker Matt Regier..She stated she was taking a stand for the LGBTQ+ community, her constituents in Missoula and “democracy itself.”.Zephyr's supporters caused a disturbance during the House session on Monday and seven people were arrested in a confrontation that Republicans alleged Zephyr had encouraged..House leaders notified the new Democratic lawmaker on Tuesday evening that they were planning to take disciplinary action against her, according to a letter she shared on Twitter..The decision to discipline Zephyr marks the latest development in an ongoing disagreement over whether Montana Republicans will allow the lawmaker from Missoula to speak unless she apologizes for her comments last week about the proposed ban..Some conservative Republicans repeatedly referred to Zephyr, a man who identifies as a woman, using incorrect pronouns and misgendering “her” in response to “her” remarks..Zephyr's comments and the Republican's response set off a chain of events that led to a rally outside the Capitol on Monday..Protesters packed the gallery at the Statehouse and interrupted House proceedings by chanting “Let her speak.” .This incident was a catalyst for her supporters and those who believe her actions attacked civil discourse..House Speaker Regier has been leading the effort to prevent Zephyr from speaking, and it is under his leadership it continued..Regier and other Republicans believe Zephyr's comments were completely inappropriate and outside the boundaries of “civil discourse.” .Republicans and Regier demanded she apologize before being allowed to participate in legislative discussions..“There needs to be some consequences for what he has been doing,” Rep. Joe Read told the media, using the incorrect pronoun when referring to Zephyr..Zephyr allegedly made a signal to her supporters before Monday's meeting was interrupted, but it's not clear what the signal was except that it was described as a “strange movement” by Read..“When she gave the signal for protestors to go into action, I would say that’s when decorum was incredibly broken,” said Read.
