Queer Lawmakers Battle Censorship
Profiles in courage in Montana, Oklahoma on transgender rights
Like fragile damsels, GOP-controlled legislatures are declaring themselves offended by violations of decorum or by pointed speech — all the while making decisions which actually hurt others, such as transgender youth.
At least 10 states have banned gender-affirming care for minors, and another 21 have introduced bills. In at least five states, the bans would also cover adults.
After passage of Montana’s bill, lawmakers voted that a transgender lawmaker could not speak on the House floor during the legislative session. Rep. Zooey Zephyr denounced the ban, stressing the high risk of suicide risk among transgender youth and adults.
“I hope the next time there’s an invocation, when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands,” she said in a floor speech.
That statement bullied lawmakers and put them “at risk of harm,” her colleagues decided. When supporters followed with chants of “Let her speak,” House leaders compared that to an insurrection.
Zephyr refused to apologize, considering it an effort to silence her and ignore constituent concerns. Working from a bench outside the House chamber, she filed a lawsuit but the judge said he did not…
