Montana Public Affairs Network
- Democratic Montana Rep. Zooey Zephyr is the state's first openly transgender legislator.
- She gave an impassioned speech on Tuesday admonishing Republicans for trying to ban gender-affirming care for children.
- Following her speech, Montana's Freedom Caucus demanded Zephyr be censured.
A group of Republicans in Montana's House of Representatives are calling to censure state Rep. Zooey Zephyr for admonishing the legislature for attempting to pass a bill banning children from receiving gender-affirming care.
"If you are forcing a trans child to go through puberty when they are trans, that is tantamount to torture. This body should be ashamed," Zephyr said.
Following Zephyr's comments, Montana House Majority Leader Sue Vinton rose in opposition.
"I speak on behalf of our caucus. We will not be shamed by anybody in this chamber. We are better than that," Vinton said.
"If you vote yes on this bill, I hope the next time there's an invocation, when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands," Zephyr responded.
The GOP-led legislature passed the governor's requested amendments to the Youth Health Protection Act later Tuesday, barring children from receiving access to puberty blockers and other gender-affirming healthcare, though it hasn't been signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte just yet.
Later that day, the Montana Freedom Caucus took to Twitter, demanding Zephyr be censured "For attempting to shame the Montana legislative body and by using inappropriate and uncalled-for language during a floor debate over amendments concerning Senate Bill 99."
Additionally, the caucus also misgendered Zephyr, the first openly transgender member of the Montana legislature, in the letter.
House Minority Leader Kim Abbott, in a statement to the Helena Independent Record, admonished the Montana Freedom Caucus for disrespecting her colleague.
"The language used by the so-called Freedom Caucus, including the intentional and repeated misgendering of Rep. Zephyr, is blatantly disrespectful and the farthest thing imaginable from the 'commitment to civil discourse' that these letter writers demand. I find it incredibly ironic that these legislators are making demands of others that they refuse to abide by themselves," Abbott said.
Zephyr defended herself in a press release on Wednesday, standing by her comments.
"I stand by my accurate description of the devastating consequences of banning essential medical care for transgender youth," Zephyr wrote. "The recently passed Senate Bill 99 is part of an alarming trend of anti-trans legislation in our state."
Despite the Montana Freedom Caucus' call to censure Zephyr, there's yet to be an official vote on the matter, and it's unlikely a censure vote would pass — the Montana Free Press reported Abbott said there's a "zero percent chance" of it actually happening.