EBS STAFF
Montana House Rep. Zooey Zephyr, D-Missoula, has been named to “Time’s 100 Next”, Time Magazine’s list of emerging leaders across the world. Rep. Zephyr is Montana’s first transgender representative in the legislature and has routinely advocated against anti-LGBTQ+ bills.
In a notable moment in Montana’s history, Republicans barred Rep. Zephyr from attending and speaking at routine floor sessions with a formal punishment on Apr. 26, 2023. The April vote meant that Zephyr would be absent from the floor for the remainder of the session which was expected to end May 5, but she could still vote remotely.
Zephyr opposed a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for youth. She referenced studies showing that gender healthcare access reduced suicide rates among transgender youth—and followed by saying Republicans would have “blood on [their] hands,” if they passed the ban.
