Montanna's GOP-dominated legislature silenced transgender Lawmaker Zooey Zephyr in 2023 for telling the truth. She told them that those who voted to ban trans youth healthcare had blood on their hands.
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Zephyr was returned to the legislature two years later by her constituents. When ballots were counted, she won by an astounding 80%!
Zephyr, who was in her first term, was last permitted to speak on the chamber floor in April 2023, when she refused to apologize for saying some lawmakers would have blood on their hands for supporting a ban on gender-affirming medical care for youth.
Before voting to expel Zephyr from the chamber, Republicans called her words hateful and accused her of inciting a protest that brought the session to a temporary standstill. Some even sought to equate the non-violent demonstration with an insurrection.
“And I promise to do as I have always done: fight for my constituents, stand up against those who seek to break democracy, and be a bulwark against the rising tide of American fascism,” she said.
