Zooey Zephyr, the representative for Montana’s District 100, who identifies as a trans bisexual woman, has been banned from the floor of the Montana State Legislature for the remainder of 2023 after a series of disruptive and bizarre episodes and activist rants. She was initially censored but after continued disruptions, the other lawmakers voted to have her removed from the floor for the rest of the year.
The Montana legislature has been considering several bills that are intended to protect children from trans indoctrination in schools, ban sex-change operations and hormone therapies for minors, and protect children from sexualized drag shows. In response to such bills being introduced, Zephry insinuated the passage of such bills into law would cause bloodshed. “I hope the next time there is an invocation when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands,” Zephyr told fellow legislatures.
Zephyr also likened “forcing” children to experience puberty to “torture.”
The reference to “blood on your hands” became prominent in the weeks following the mass shooting of several children at a Christian school in Nashville, TN by a transgender activist. The statement indicates that the blame for such an event is to be placed on conservatives, rather than the trans shooter, as conservatives are responsible for passing laws to prevent sex change surgeries and puberty blockers from being provided to minors. Trans activist often equate restrictions on gender-based operations and hormone therapies with “trans genocide.”
The statement made by Zephyr was interpreted by her colleagues as threatening language, which led them to first censor Zephyr before removing the lawmaker altogether, according to Zerohedge.
Many in the media have argued that having Zephyr banned from debating on the floor is censorship of a “marginalized voice.” However, the action is within the legal rights of lawmakers in Montana and Zephyr can still vote on bills albeit remotely. Zephyr repeatedly violated rules of decorum on the house floor which exist to force legislatures to present evidence and facts during debate rather than personal attacks against one another and rhetoric. The remaining Montana legislatures determined that Zephyr acted unprofessionally, broke decorum, and needed to be removed from the floor.